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Jury finds five men guilty in Suni Bell murder
Kylie Jones reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - A jury has convicted five men of first-degree murder in the death of a four-year-old girl.
After almost two full days of jury deliberation, jurors delivered guilty verdicts on all counts for Zvante Sampson, Jaylin Bedward, James Denson, Quandarious Hammond and Andrew Thompson.
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The backstory:
The five men were charged with first-degree murder in the 2021 killing of Suni Bell.
The state said the 4-year-old girl and her family were coming back from a celebration of life for a family member who had died, and they were headed to a get-together following the event that night in August 2021. Prosecutors said Suni's uncle, Willy Brown, was driving the car and her mother, Mary Harrison, was in the passenger's seat.
They couldn't find the location of the get-together, so they pulled off into a field to figure out the directions. Prosecutors said Sampson, Bedward, Denson, Thompson and Hammond were among a group that was hanging out at a nearby Chevron gas station, and they started watching the car that the family was in.
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The group was seen gathering outside the gas station on surveillance footage.
Prosecutors said some of the men masked their faces and several grabbed guns, before getting into several cars and following the car that Suni and her family were in. Surveillance footage appears to show the cars following their car and ambushing them with about 40 bullets.
Suni's mother and uncle survived, but the child later died at the hospital.
Pictured: Suni Bell.
The murder trial
The suspects’ attorneys have argued that there is no way to know which of them pulled the trigger and that the bullet that hit Suni is not tied to any of the guns recovered. The defense attorneys made several efforts to have the judge throw out the charges against their clients, but all were denied.
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On Monday, the defense teams for each of the men rested their case without calling any witnesses to the stand.
The prosecution began its closing statement in the morning, but it was interrupted by an angry outburst from Sampson. He could be heard yelling out from his seat in the courtroom, "Somebody shot at me. Somebody shot back."
The judge instructed bailiffs to remove Sampson from the courtroom. As he was being escorted out, Sampson was heard saying, "I feel sorry for the little girl, but somebody shot at us. It's the truth."
The court went into a recess, during which time Sampson told the judge he didn't want to be in the courtroom any longer. He was taken back to a holding cell, where a TV was set up for him to watch the remainder of the trial.
Sampson's attorney apologized to the judge, saying Sampson was tired of the process. He later apologized to the jury for Sampson's outburst.
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"This, to put it mildly, has been a very emotional process for everyone, and it has taken its toll on Mr. Sampson, as well," Sampson's attorney Brian Gonzalez said.
What they're saying:
The prosecution finished its closing statements Monday afternoon, continuing to emphasize that these five men acted as a group. Prosecutors called the alleged ambush a team effort.
"This victim was hunted down by the defendants, because they wanted to accomplish one goal, and that goal was to kill the occupants of the silver Infinity they saw driving behind the Jet," a prosecutor said. "It was driving too slow. It was parked for one minute too long in the field. Whatever their motivation, they targeted this vehicle, this child, this family."
The state also said it doesn't have to prove who fired the shot that killed Suni.
"You don't need to be the sole person to pull the trigger for this death to be on your hands," a prosecutor said.
The other side:
The defense attorneys for each of the five men made their closing statements Monday afternoon.
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"Someone can be merely present at the scene of a crime," Bedward's attorney, Danny Hernandez, said. "Someone can act independently, even if in the company of others. And I know you're tired of me saying it, but I'll say it one more time — As jurors, you cannot speculate about what somebody knew or did. You need proof."
The defense continued to highlight what it called a lack of evidence in this case from the prosecution, arguing a lot of the evidence presented is circumstantial.
"The state is asking you to rely on circumstantial evidence in a number of ways," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez also questioned Willy Brown's testimony.
"Something just doesn't seem right as it relates to his testimony, ladies and gentlemen," he said. "He alleged that he didn't know anything about going to a gravesite for the balloon release. Mary Harrison told you that that was the intent."
Denson's attorney also argued that he can't be found 'guilty by association.'
Jury deliberation
The 12-person jury deliberated all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday. On Wednesday morning, jurors had three questions for the judge.
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"On each count, does it have to be unanimous on the degree of guilty? For example, if 11 people say first-degree murder and one person says second-degree murder, does that mean they get charged with second-degree murder?" a juror asked.
The judge instructed the jury to evaluate each charge for each defendant individually, and to reach a unanimous verdict.
Jury verdict
The jury returned with a verdict around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
Jurors found all five men guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and shooting at or within a vehicle.
What they're saying:
In a statement on Wednesday, Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said that although not all five men fired a weapon, they can all be held equally accountable for Suni's murder under the state's principal theory of prosecution.
"Suni Bell should have just started third grade, laughing, learning and enjoying all the things she loved. She lit up every room with her singing in church, her dancing, and her favorite LOL dolls. She was a protective big sister and a daughter who adored her parents. Nothing can erase this tragedy, but today’s verdict ensures that those responsible for this senseless murder will be held accountable. We are humbled to stand with the family in our pursuit for justice for Suni," Lopez said in a statement on Wednesday.
What's next:
The judge set a sentencing date for the five men for October 27, although a conviction of first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
The Source: The information in the story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones.