Nearly four years later, Martin Kelly still struggles to talk about the night Shelby Shull was killed by an intoxicated driver.
Dustin Halstead, 24, of Lakeland.
Kelly was contracted to finish construction work on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland, and Shull was there to make sure he stayed safe as the work was completed in the early hours of the morning on July 23, 2014. Shull was pulling up cones so the two could move to another work site down the road when he was struck and killed by Dustin Halstead, who was driving home after drinking at three different bars.
“Shelby was there to watch my back, and he died doing it,” Kelly said, fighting back tears while on the witness stand.
At the end of a week-long trial, jurors convicted Halstead Jan. 12 of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Halstead is facing 45 years in prison and will be sentenced on March 1.
Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Swenson walked jurors through the events that led to the fatal crash.
Halstead went to three different Lakeland bars, consuming a couple of drinks at each location – he closed his last tab at 1:45 a.m.
As Halstead’s vehicle approached the construction zone, his vehicle drifted to the left. He struck several construction barrels before hitting Shull just after 2 a.m.
Kelly heard the collision and ran over to see a dark, boxy vehicle driving away from where Shull’s body was laying in the roadway. Halstead did not stop.
Halstead’s girlfriend, Kelly Harrigan, was in the vehicle with him at the time of the crash. She was looking at her phone when she felt the impact and did not see construction barrels or a human.
After reading an article about how someone died on South Florida Avenue, Harrigan sent it to Halstead – he told her not to tell anyone.
But Harrigan had already mentioned it to her roommate, who called the Lakeland Police Department. When police contacted Harrigan, she confirmed Halstead was driving that night and told officers where he could be found.
Police found dents and blood spatter on the hood of Halstead’s vehicle. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed the DNA matched that of Shelby Shull.
Halstead told detectives that he remembered hitting traffic barrels but didn’t stop because he didn’t think that was a crime.
“There’s no way you don’t know you hit a person,” Swenson said, adding that the DNA proves Shull’s body was on top of the hood, which was directly in Halstead’s line of sight.
But the defense argued the DNA was transferred from a construction barrel – that Halstead drove by after Shull had been hit by another car. When Halstead ran into the barrels, they claimed, the DNA ended up on his hood.
Swenson reminded jurors there was testimony showing the barrels only weigh 30 pounds, and the denting on Halstead’s car was more consistent with a 200 pound victim. There was also a smear on hood, which could only have come from hitting Shull.
She also told them it was impossible for another car to have come through before Halstead without running over Shull, as his body was left in the middle of the roadway. And Shull’s injuries only showed signs of being struck.
“He was not run over,” Swenson said.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dustin-Halstead.jpg480400Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-01-31 15:47:372018-01-31 15:47:37JURY VERDICT: Lakeland man who killed construction worker guilty of vehicular homicide
Ginger Collins pled guilty to stealing more than $100,000 while she was an administrator at McKeel Academy and Kathleen Middle School.
Ginger Collins, 46, of Lakeland.
Collins has already paid approximately $90,000 in restitution.
She was sentenced Tuesday to four years in state prison, followed by three years of probation. The remaining $16,000 was ordered to be paid while she is on probation.
Collins was arrested in January 2017 for stealing more than $83,000 from McKeel Academy. While she was entrusted with three school credit cards, Collins paid for personal bills, luxury items, and travel both in and out of the country.
Additional charges were added July 2017 when Kathleen Middle School realized 14 of the school’s iPad’s, valued at $10,000, were missing. Collins had stolen them before she resigned as Principal, and she sold them online for profit.
She also had possession of a Polk County School Board credit card and bought personal items, crediting her bank accounts with about $20,000. Collins created false invoices to cover up her purchases at both schools.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Ginger-Collins.jpg600480Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-01-24 16:56:422018-01-24 16:56:42SENTENCING UPDATE: Ex-Principal who stole over $100K sentenced to 4 years
Bobby McNeal fled from law enforcement in a stolen vehicle before he crashed it into a tree, killing his 15-year-old passenger.
Bobby McNeal, 17, of Plant City.
McNeal pled guilty in November of fleeing to elude causing death, grand theft of a motor vehicle, burglary of a conveyance, and driving while license suspended or revoked. Without a plea agreement in place, the sentence was determined by Circuit Judge Wayne Durden on Jan. 11.
Durden sentenced McNeal to 15 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 7, 2017, McNeal stole a car and led officers in both Plant City and Lakeland on a high-speed chase. When Plant City police attempted to apprehend McNeal, he intentionally struck a Plant City Police Department car and attempted to hit an officer who was on foot.
McNeal also hit a civilian’s vehicle and fled the scene, driving at speeds of 115 MPH and entering into the Lakeland city limits.
Lakeland Police Officer Warren Scott Hutton located McNeal in the stolen vehicle at State Road 33 and Socrum Loop Road. Hutton, who was driving his marked patrol vehicle, pulled in behind McNeal and began to follow him.
A few seconds later, McNeal began to rapidly accelerate, eventually reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Hutton activated his lights and sirens to signal McNeal to stop, but he refused to pull over and continued to elude officers at high speeds for 16 miles.
In an attempt to get around traffic, McNeal left the roadway at the traffic circle on State Road 33 and Deen Still Road. McNeal lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree.
After crashing into a tree, McNeal continued to resist arrest. After being forcibly removed from the vehicle, he fought with Hutton to avoid being arrested.
As McNeal fought Hutton’s attempts to restrain him, the vehicle burst into flames. Hutton was eventually able to restrain McNeal and drag him to safety.
After Hutton detained McNeal, he heard over the radio that a second person was seen in the car. Hutton asked McNeal if there was anyone else in the vehicle, as the smoke and damage to the car made it difficult to see inside.
McNeal repeatedly denied there was another person in the car.
As the flames began to grow, Hutton found a female in the front passenger seat. Hutton and members of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office removed her from the vehicle, and she was airlifted to Orlando Regional Health, where she later died from her injuries.
McNeal did not take the stand and testify at the sentencing hearing, but the victim’s mother and sister did.
In a letter read at sentencing, the victim’s mother told the judge that because of McNeal’s actions, she spent her daughter’s 16th birthday at her grave.
The victim’s sister told the judge McNeal needed to be punished for what he did. She added that she hopes he will be a better man once he is released from prison.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter represented the State of Florida in this case.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Bobby-McNeal.jpg480400Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-01-23 16:49:402018-01-23 16:49:40SENTENCING UPDATE: Teen sentenced to 15 years after high-speed chase led to girl’s death
When Markus Locke confronted his victim about stolen motorcycle parts and received an answer he didn’t like, he shot him twice.
Markus Locke, 26, of Winter Haven.
After two hours of deliberation, a jury convicted 26-year-old Locke Jan. 10 of attempted second-degree murder and armed trespass. He is facing between 25 years to life in prison and will be sentenced March 2.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Buza took jurors back to the night of Aug. 23, 2017. Locke believed Tony Wilkerson had stolen motorcycle parts from him, so about 10:30 that night, Locke drove to Wilkerson’s house and began looking on his property without permission.
Wilkerson’s daughter said she saw a person with a flashlight in their front yard, so Wilkerson had his wife call 911 as grabbed a gun and went outside. He saw Locke standing in his front yard yelling and threatening to kill him.
Locke accused Wilkerson of stealing his motorcycle parts.
Wilkerson, who did not have any of the parts in his possession, told Locke that the police had already been called and that he should leave. But before Wilkerson could finish his sentence, Locke raised a gun and fired two shots at him.
The bullets struck Wilkerson in his left arm and in his lower back.
Wilkerson fell to the ground and returned fire at Locke, who immediately jumped into his vehicle and left. The entire incident was captured on home security cameras.
In initial interviews with detectives, Locke said Wilkerson never invited him over to the house. He admitted that he knew his actions were wrong and that he did not have the right to be at Wilkerson’s house that night.
When Locke took the stand during the two-day trial, his testimony contradicted the statements he gave law enforcement. He claimed that he’d been invited over by Wilkerson but that he shouldn’t have gone over with a gun if he really thought his things had been stolen.
But Locke’s motorcycle parts had been stolen, and he thought Wilkerson was the one who took them, Buza told jurors.
“He was mad, and he wanted his stuff back,” she said.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Buza addresses jurors during her closing statements Jan. 10. The jury deliberated for about two hours before finding Locke guilty as charged.
The defense claimed that Locke, who brought his fiancée with him to retrieve the parts, reacted in self-defense because Wilkerson pulled a gun out first. Locke’s attorney said that he acted in fear and only used enough force to protect himself and his fiancée so they could get out of the situation.
But in her closing argument, Buza told jurors that the defense’s claims were unreasonable.
“So he went with a firearm, but he’s so afraid that he goes there with someone he loves and puts them both in danger?” She said. “And then he claims he’s acting in self-defense because a homeowner comes out with a gun behind his back after hearing someone in his yard.”
“Locke has given you two different stories that completely contradict themselves,” Buza said, adding that she was confident the evidence would point to only one verdict: guilty.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Markus-Locke.jpg512414Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-01-17 16:10:522018-01-17 16:10:52JURY VERDICT: Winter Haven man guilty of attempted second-degree murder, armed trespass
Jaron Skipper was high on methamphetamine when he slammed into the back of a city bus, critically injuring his two children who were improperly seat belted.
Jaron Skipper
A jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Skipper guilty Saturday of two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, two counts of neglect of a child, two counts of DUI causing injury, two counts of reckless driving, and DUI causing property damage – Skipper was acquitted of two counts of aggravated child abuse. He is facing up to 55 years in prison and will be sentenced on Feb. 8.
Assistant State Attorneys Josephine Colón and Mark Smith walked jurors through the events leading up to the crash on Jan. 11, 2017. Skipper, 37, of Eagle Lake, was driving a friend’s truck when he approached the Winter Haven intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and Snively Avenue.
A city transit bus was stopped at a designated bus stop with its flashers on. Skipper failed to stop and impacted the rear of the bus, causing extensive damage to the front end of the truck and the rear of the bus.
“There were no signs of braking or swerving,” Colón said, “no signs whatsoever that the defendant made any attempt to avoid hitting the back of the bus.”
Jaron Skipper hit the bus with so much force that his 6-year-old daughter Emma – who was not seat belted – was thrown through the truck’s windshield “like a bullet,” Colón said. Her head slammed into the back of the city bus before she fell to the roadway in front of the truck her father was driving.
Witnesses to the crash saw Emma lying under the bumper of the truck with radiator fluid leaking down on her, so they carried her to the sidewalk where she would be safe. They stayed with her to keep her calm, as she had several lacerations on the back of her head and was bleeding profusely.
Those witnesses also noticed Skipper in the driver’s seat and testified that he was semi-conscious.
Jaron Skipper’s 4-year-old son John was in the back seat wearing a normal seat belt – he was not in a proper child restraint device. John was propelled forward into the seat in front of him, and his spine was severed by the seatbelt and the force of the impact.
Both children and Skipper were flown to Tampa General Hospital to be treated. Emma recovered after undergoing surgery for a skull fracture, but John will most likely be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.
Colón told members of the jury that every right has a responsibility, every responsibility has an obligation, and every obligation has a duty.
“Skipper disregarded his responsibilities, obligations, and duties as a driver on the roadway, and more importantly, as a parent,” she said.
Skipper took the stand Friday and testified that he was unsure how methamphetamine would have gotten in his system. He told jurors that he was waiting to get through the green light and was simply distracted while driving.
Colón asked Skipper how he was able to see the green light but unable to see the big blue bus – he told her he simply couldn’t remember seeing the bus or its flashers.
In closing arguments Saturday, the defense claimed that the events leading up to the crash on Jan. 11, 2017, were a series of unfortunate ones – that they just happened upon Skipper and his family.
Colón questioned the reasonableness of the defense’s stance.
“It just so happened to happen to him on this day?” Colón asked. “This doesn’t just happen. It happened because he was impaired on meth and his cognitive functions were diminished.”
“They (Emma and John) suffered at the hands of their father – the person who had the responsibilities, obligations, and duty to care for his own children,” she said.
State Attorney Brian Haas was very pleased with the outcome of this trial and said he is thankful for the hard work and dedication of Assistant State Attorneys Colón and Smith.
He also stated that he is grateful for the detail-oriented work of the deputies who handled this case.
“The Polk County Sheriff’s Office did an excellent job investigating this terrible crash,” Haas said. “Their work was critical to obtaining the outcome of this jury trial.”
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Jaron-Skipper.jpg512414Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2018-01-08 12:50:402018-01-08 12:50:40JURY VERDICT: Eagle Lake man guilty of DUI with serious bodily injury
Delwyn Manuel will spend the rest of his life in prison after battering a young girl and getting her pregnant.
After only 45 minutes of deliberation on Nov. 1, Manuel, 53, was found guilty of sexual battery with familial or custodial authority. He was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
He forced himself on the girl multiple times, and DNA testing revealed there was a 99.99 percent chance Manuel was the father of his victim’s unborn child.
https://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Delwyn-Manuel.jpg600480Kaitlyn Pearsonhttps://www.sao10.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Office-of-the-State-Attorney-10th-Judicial-Circuit-Logo.pngKaitlyn Pearson2017-12-19 15:23:252017-12-19 15:24:13SENTENCING UPDATE: Haines City man who impregnated girl sentenced to life
JURY VERDICT: Lakeland man who killed construction worker guilty of vehicular homicide
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonNearly four years later, Martin Kelly still struggles to talk about the night Shelby Shull was killed by an intoxicated driver.
Dustin Halstead, 24, of Lakeland.
Kelly was contracted to finish construction work on South Florida Avenue in Lakeland, and Shull was there to make sure he stayed safe as the work was completed in the early hours of the morning on July 23, 2014. Shull was pulling up cones so the two could move to another work site down the road when he was struck and killed by Dustin Halstead, who was driving home after drinking at three different bars.
“Shelby was there to watch my back, and he died doing it,” Kelly said, fighting back tears while on the witness stand.
At the end of a week-long trial, jurors convicted Halstead Jan. 12 of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Halstead is facing 45 years in prison and will be sentenced on March 1.
Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Swenson walked jurors through the events that led to the fatal crash.
Halstead went to three different Lakeland bars, consuming a couple of drinks at each location – he closed his last tab at 1:45 a.m.
As Halstead’s vehicle approached the construction zone, his vehicle drifted to the left. He struck several construction barrels before hitting Shull just after 2 a.m.
Kelly heard the collision and ran over to see a dark, boxy vehicle driving away from where Shull’s body was laying in the roadway. Halstead did not stop.
Halstead’s girlfriend, Kelly Harrigan, was in the vehicle with him at the time of the crash. She was looking at her phone when she felt the impact and did not see construction barrels or a human.
After reading an article about how someone died on South Florida Avenue, Harrigan sent it to Halstead – he told her not to tell anyone.
But Harrigan had already mentioned it to her roommate, who called the Lakeland Police Department. When police contacted Harrigan, she confirmed Halstead was driving that night and told officers where he could be found.
Police found dents and blood spatter on the hood of Halstead’s vehicle. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed the DNA matched that of Shelby Shull.
Halstead told detectives that he remembered hitting traffic barrels but didn’t stop because he didn’t think that was a crime.
“There’s no way you don’t know you hit a person,” Swenson said, adding that the DNA proves Shull’s body was on top of the hood, which was directly in Halstead’s line of sight.
But the defense argued the DNA was transferred from a construction barrel – that Halstead drove by after Shull had been hit by another car. When Halstead ran into the barrels, they claimed, the DNA ended up on his hood.
Swenson reminded jurors there was testimony showing the barrels only weigh 30 pounds, and the denting on Halstead’s car was more consistent with a 200 pound victim. There was also a smear on hood, which could only have come from hitting Shull.
She also told them it was impossible for another car to have come through before Halstead without running over Shull, as his body was left in the middle of the roadway. And Shull’s injuries only showed signs of being struck.
“He was not run over,” Swenson said.
SENTENCING UPDATE: Ex-Principal who stole over $100K sentenced to 4 years
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonGinger Collins pled guilty to stealing more than $100,000 while she was an administrator at McKeel Academy and Kathleen Middle School.
Ginger Collins, 46, of Lakeland.
Collins has already paid approximately $90,000 in restitution.
She was sentenced Tuesday to four years in state prison, followed by three years of probation. The remaining $16,000 was ordered to be paid while she is on probation.
Collins was arrested in January 2017 for stealing more than $83,000 from McKeel Academy. While she was entrusted with three school credit cards, Collins paid for personal bills, luxury items, and travel both in and out of the country.
Additional charges were added July 2017 when Kathleen Middle School realized 14 of the school’s iPad’s, valued at $10,000, were missing. Collins had stolen them before she resigned as Principal, and she sold them online for profit.
She also had possession of a Polk County School Board credit card and bought personal items, crediting her bank accounts with about $20,000. Collins created false invoices to cover up her purchases at both schools.
SENTENCING UPDATE: Teen sentenced to 15 years after high-speed chase led to girl’s death
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonBobby McNeal fled from law enforcement in a stolen vehicle before he crashed it into a tree, killing his 15-year-old passenger.
Bobby McNeal, 17, of Plant City.
McNeal pled guilty in November of fleeing to elude causing death, grand theft of a motor vehicle, burglary of a conveyance, and driving while license suspended or revoked. Without a plea agreement in place, the sentence was determined by Circuit Judge Wayne Durden on Jan. 11.
Durden sentenced McNeal to 15 years in prison, followed by 10 years of probation.
In the early morning hours of Feb. 7, 2017, McNeal stole a car and led officers in both Plant City and Lakeland on a high-speed chase. When Plant City police attempted to apprehend McNeal, he intentionally struck a Plant City Police Department car and attempted to hit an officer who was on foot.
McNeal also hit a civilian’s vehicle and fled the scene, driving at speeds of 115 MPH and entering into the Lakeland city limits.
Lakeland Police Officer Warren Scott Hutton located McNeal in the stolen vehicle at State Road 33 and Socrum Loop Road. Hutton, who was driving his marked patrol vehicle, pulled in behind McNeal and began to follow him.
A few seconds later, McNeal began to rapidly accelerate, eventually reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Hutton activated his lights and sirens to signal McNeal to stop, but he refused to pull over and continued to elude officers at high speeds for 16 miles.
In an attempt to get around traffic, McNeal left the roadway at the traffic circle on State Road 33 and Deen Still Road. McNeal lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree.
After crashing into a tree, McNeal continued to resist arrest. After being forcibly removed from the vehicle, he fought with Hutton to avoid being arrested.
As McNeal fought Hutton’s attempts to restrain him, the vehicle burst into flames. Hutton was eventually able to restrain McNeal and drag him to safety.
After Hutton detained McNeal, he heard over the radio that a second person was seen in the car. Hutton asked McNeal if there was anyone else in the vehicle, as the smoke and damage to the car made it difficult to see inside.
McNeal repeatedly denied there was another person in the car.
As the flames began to grow, Hutton found a female in the front passenger seat. Hutton and members of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office removed her from the vehicle, and she was airlifted to Orlando Regional Health, where she later died from her injuries.
McNeal did not take the stand and testify at the sentencing hearing, but the victim’s mother and sister did.
In a letter read at sentencing, the victim’s mother told the judge that because of McNeal’s actions, she spent her daughter’s 16th birthday at her grave.
The victim’s sister told the judge McNeal needed to be punished for what he did. She added that she hopes he will be a better man once he is released from prison.
Assistant State Attorney Michael Nutter represented the State of Florida in this case.
JURY VERDICT: Winter Haven man guilty of attempted second-degree murder, armed trespass
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonWhen Markus Locke confronted his victim about stolen motorcycle parts and received an answer he didn’t like, he shot him twice.
Markus Locke, 26, of Winter Haven.
After two hours of deliberation, a jury convicted 26-year-old Locke Jan. 10 of attempted second-degree murder and armed trespass. He is facing between 25 years to life in prison and will be sentenced March 2.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Buza took jurors back to the night of Aug. 23, 2017. Locke believed Tony Wilkerson had stolen motorcycle parts from him, so about 10:30 that night, Locke drove to Wilkerson’s house and began looking on his property without permission.
Wilkerson’s daughter said she saw a person with a flashlight in their front yard, so Wilkerson had his wife call 911 as grabbed a gun and went outside. He saw Locke standing in his front yard yelling and threatening to kill him.
Locke accused Wilkerson of stealing his motorcycle parts.
Wilkerson, who did not have any of the parts in his possession, told Locke that the police had already been called and that he should leave. But before Wilkerson could finish his sentence, Locke raised a gun and fired two shots at him.
The bullets struck Wilkerson in his left arm and in his lower back.
Wilkerson fell to the ground and returned fire at Locke, who immediately jumped into his vehicle and left. The entire incident was captured on home security cameras.
In initial interviews with detectives, Locke said Wilkerson never invited him over to the house. He admitted that he knew his actions were wrong and that he did not have the right to be at Wilkerson’s house that night.
When Locke took the stand during the two-day trial, his testimony contradicted the statements he gave law enforcement. He claimed that he’d been invited over by Wilkerson but that he shouldn’t have gone over with a gun if he really thought his things had been stolen.
But Locke’s motorcycle parts had been stolen, and he thought Wilkerson was the one who took them, Buza told jurors.
“He was mad, and he wanted his stuff back,” she said.
Assistant State Attorney Melissa Buza addresses jurors during her closing statements Jan. 10. The jury deliberated for about two hours before finding Locke guilty as charged.
The defense claimed that Locke, who brought his fiancée with him to retrieve the parts, reacted in self-defense because Wilkerson pulled a gun out first. Locke’s attorney said that he acted in fear and only used enough force to protect himself and his fiancée so they could get out of the situation.
But in her closing argument, Buza told jurors that the defense’s claims were unreasonable.
“So he went with a firearm, but he’s so afraid that he goes there with someone he loves and puts them both in danger?” She said. “And then he claims he’s acting in self-defense because a homeowner comes out with a gun behind his back after hearing someone in his yard.”
“Locke has given you two different stories that completely contradict themselves,” Buza said, adding that she was confident the evidence would point to only one verdict: guilty.
JURY VERDICT: Eagle Lake man guilty of DUI with serious bodily injury
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonJaron Skipper was high on methamphetamine when he slammed into the back of a city bus, critically injuring his two children who were improperly seat belted.
Jaron Skipper
A jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Skipper guilty Saturday of two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury, two counts of neglect of a child, two counts of DUI causing injury, two counts of reckless driving, and DUI causing property damage – Skipper was acquitted of two counts of aggravated child abuse. He is facing up to 55 years in prison and will be sentenced on Feb. 8.
Assistant State Attorneys Josephine Colón and Mark Smith walked jurors through the events leading up to the crash on Jan. 11, 2017. Skipper, 37, of Eagle Lake, was driving a friend’s truck when he approached the Winter Haven intersection of U.S. Highway 17 and Snively Avenue.
A city transit bus was stopped at a designated bus stop with its flashers on. Skipper failed to stop and impacted the rear of the bus, causing extensive damage to the front end of the truck and the rear of the bus.
“There were no signs of braking or swerving,” Colón said, “no signs whatsoever that the defendant made any attempt to avoid hitting the back of the bus.”
Jaron Skipper hit the bus with so much force that his 6-year-old daughter Emma – who was not seat belted – was thrown through the truck’s windshield “like a bullet,” Colón said. Her head slammed into the back of the city bus before she fell to the roadway in front of the truck her father was driving.
Witnesses to the crash saw Emma lying under the bumper of the truck with radiator fluid leaking down on her, so they carried her to the sidewalk where she would be safe. They stayed with her to keep her calm, as she had several lacerations on the back of her head and was bleeding profusely.
Those witnesses also noticed Skipper in the driver’s seat and testified that he was semi-conscious.
Jaron Skipper’s 4-year-old son John was in the back seat wearing a normal seat belt – he was not in a proper child restraint device. John was propelled forward into the seat in front of him, and his spine was severed by the seatbelt and the force of the impact.
Both children and Skipper were flown to Tampa General Hospital to be treated. Emma recovered after undergoing surgery for a skull fracture, but John will most likely be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.
Colón told members of the jury that every right has a responsibility, every responsibility has an obligation, and every obligation has a duty.
“Skipper disregarded his responsibilities, obligations, and duties as a driver on the roadway, and more importantly, as a parent,” she said.
Skipper took the stand Friday and testified that he was unsure how methamphetamine would have gotten in his system. He told jurors that he was waiting to get through the green light and was simply distracted while driving.
Colón asked Skipper how he was able to see the green light but unable to see the big blue bus – he told her he simply couldn’t remember seeing the bus or its flashers.
In closing arguments Saturday, the defense claimed that the events leading up to the crash on Jan. 11, 2017, were a series of unfortunate ones – that they just happened upon Skipper and his family.
Colón questioned the reasonableness of the defense’s stance.
“It just so happened to happen to him on this day?” Colón asked. “This doesn’t just happen. It happened because he was impaired on meth and his cognitive functions were diminished.”
“They (Emma and John) suffered at the hands of their father – the person who had the responsibilities, obligations, and duty to care for his own children,” she said.
State Attorney Brian Haas was very pleased with the outcome of this trial and said he is thankful for the hard work and dedication of Assistant State Attorneys Colón and Smith.
He also stated that he is grateful for the detail-oriented work of the deputies who handled this case.
“The Polk County Sheriff’s Office did an excellent job investigating this terrible crash,” Haas said. “Their work was critical to obtaining the outcome of this jury trial.”
SENTENCING UPDATE: Haines City man who impregnated girl sentenced to life
/in SAO10 Blog /by Kaitlyn PearsonDelwyn Manuel will spend the rest of his life in prison after battering a young girl and getting her pregnant.
After only 45 minutes of deliberation on Nov. 1, Manuel, 53, was found guilty of sexual battery with familial or custodial authority. He was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
He forced himself on the girl multiple times, and DNA testing revealed there was a 99.99 percent chance Manuel was the father of his victim’s unborn child.
More information on Manuel’s conviction can be found here: http://www.sao10.com/jury-verdict-haines-city-man-sexually-battered-girl-got-pregnant/