CITRUS COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit says a 22-year-old was sentenced Thursday for the murder of a 21-year-old man.
The State Attorney’s Office says Jevaris Nathan Dortch was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Stanley Haybron III in 2021.
On November 16, jurors found Dortch guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, and shooting into an occupied conveyance.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) says the deadly shooting happened on December 27, 2021. They say around 9:30 p.m., they responded to reports of a shooting that happened on South Great Oaks Drive in Floral City.
When they arrived at the scene, they say they found a 27-year-old white male suffering multiple gunshot wounds. While they were giving him medical attention, they say he described the car the shooters took off in. Deputies then saw the car just about 50 yards away. A short time later, they say they found Haybron who had been shot multiple times. He died from his injuries.
Within 24 hours, the sheriff’s office says they were able to identify Dortch and David Julian Murrell as the two involved in the shooting.
Murrell, 21, was sentenced in late October to mandatory life in prison for the murder of Haybron.
“In this case where a young life was tragically lost, a life sentence serves as a solemn acknowledgment of the severity of this crime and our commitment to ensuring public safety,” said William ‘Bill’ Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney.
The State Attorney’s Office says Dortch was sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender (PRR). According to Florida’s sentencing guidelines, a PRR is a defendant who commits or attempts to commit certain felony crimes including treason, murder, manslaughter, sexual battery, aggravated battery, armed burglary, and burglary of a dwelling or occupied structure within three years of being released from prison. It also applies to any defendant who commits or attempts to commit those crimes while they are serving a prison sentence.
If a state attorney determines and proves that a defendant is a PRR, they can seek to have the court sentence them as such. This means the defendant will not be sentenced under typical sentencing guidelines and will be sentenced as follows:
- For a felony punishable by life, by a term of imprisonment for life
- For a felony of the first degree, by a term of imprisonment of 30 years
- For a felony of the second degree, by a term of imprisonment of 15 years
- For a felony of the third degree, by a term of imprisonment of 5 years
According to Citrus County court records, Dortch was arrested for burglary of a conveyance in 2018. He was ordered to pay restitution and two years of probation. Court records show Dortch violated probation and the case was reopened. He was then sentenced to nine months in prison in March of 2019.
“Our duty is to seek justice, and in doing so, we strive to bring closure and ensure accountability. Today, we stand firm in upholding that responsibility,” said Gladson.
