Sentencing phase in Ronnie Walker death penalty case begins Thursday
TAMPA, Fla. - Ronnie Walker will soon find out whether he'll be sentenced to die for murdering a 14-year-old girl in Tampa more than three years ago.
A jury convicted Walker of first-degree murder in the high-profile case earlier this week.
Case against Ronnie Walker
The backstory:
In May 2022, Nilexia Alexander was found shot to death off Floribraska Ave. Investigators said she was seen on video getting into Ronnie Walker's car in the early morning hours of May 6, 2022.
Pictured: Nilexia Alexander.
In July 2022, investigators arrested Walker and charged him with first-degree murder.
Trial testimony
Dig deeper:
Prosecutors argued that Walker sought out Alexander that night, and argued with her about her sexual history before shooting her once in the car, then three more times at close range in an empty field.
Prosecutors told the jury he threw the gun in the Hillsborough River and tried to clean his car of DNA.
Pictured: Ronnie Walker in court.
"Nilexia Alexander was a runaway. She ran away from home. She made some bad decisions," said prosecutor Chinwe Fossett. "Ronnie Walker drives away with his lights off. Ronnie Walker drives around a bit and then goes to the Thornton, Ronnie Walker cleans out his car."
The prosecution relied on two witnesses: Robert Creed, the third person in the car that night, and a bail bondsman named Stanley Wilson.
Both cited Walker's fury related to sex with Nilexia when he shot her. Creed testified that Walker threatened to kill him if he told anyone.
RELATED: Witness points finger at Ronnie Walker after Nilexia Alexander's mom testifies at trial
The other side:
The defense argued that both of the state's key witnesses have extensive criminal histories, and Creed wants favorable treatment in his own sentencing for initially lying to detectives.
Creed testified Walker turned with his left hand and shot her in the back seat, then followed her out of the car to keep shooting. The defense, however, said the evidence showed Creed shot her from the front passenger seat.
The defense did not call any witnesses at trial, with Walker declining to testify.
Jurors took less than three hours to reach a guilty verdict on Tuesday. Walker showed no emotion as the verdict was read in court.
Pictured: Ronnie Walker in court moments before the verdict in his murder case was read.
Death penalty in Florida
By the numbers:
Under Florida law, at least eight of the 12 jurors must vote to recommend the death penalty before the judge can impose it.
What's next:
Defense attorneys plan to call eight to 10 witnesses during the sentencing phase, which begins Thursday at 10 a.m.
The Source: This story was written with information from Hillsborough County court records and previous FOX 13 News reports.
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