MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – On Oct. 24, a jury convicted 26-year-old Ralph Fontil Jr. of premeditated first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting of 18-year-old Kobe Bradshaw.
Fontil, who was indicted by a grand jury in December 2021, was charged after evidence tied him to the crime, including cell phone records and surveillance footage.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident on June 5, 2021, finding Bradshaw with multiple gunshot wounds. Witnesses reported seeing two masked suspects flee the scene, later identified as Fontil and a 17-year-old accomplice, Brandon Merizier. Forensic evidence and cell phone records placed both suspects near the crime scene before and after the shooting.
During the investigation, detectives recovered additional evidence, including ammunition matching the crime scene casings, and incriminating data on Merizier’s phone. Fontil, located days later in a traffic stop, was uncooperative with authorities.
“Today, justice has been served for Kobe,” stated Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson, noting that the verdict brings some solace to Bradshaw’s family. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Toby Hunt and Rich Buxman, with law enforcement commended for their efforts in securing the conviction.