Hillsborough County: Life verdict for Ronny Tremel Walker
After evidence in the penalty phase concluded Friday, the jury deliberated for under two hours before returning its verdict.
On Tuesday, June 24, a Hillsborough County jury convicted Ronny Tremel Walker of murdering 14-year-old Nilexia Alexander.
Before trial, the trial court granted Walker’s motion to preclude the application of Florida’s current capital sentencing scheme under section 775.022—meaning Florida’s prior unanimity statute applied.
On Thursday, the trial proceeded to the penalty phase. You can watch the first day of the penalty phase at the link below:
After evidence in the penalty phase concluded Friday, the sentencing determination was submitted to the jury. The jury deliberated for under two hours before returning a life verdict. Before reaching the verdict, the jury found unanimously that the State proved both aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt.1 The jury also unanimously found that the aggravation outweighed the mitigation. However, the jury did not unanimously recommend death.
You can watch the announcement of the penalty-phase verdict at the link below (starting around 1:40:00):
Accordingly, the trial court sentenced Walker to life in prison without parole (LWOP).
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Before trial, the trial judge granted the defense’s motion to strike one aggravating factor.