Leon County: Prosecutors seek death penalty for Phoenix Ikner
Leon County prosecutors have filed a notice of their intent to seek the death penalty against Phoenix Ikner for the FSU shooting in April.
In mid-May, Phoneix Ikner was charged by indictment with two counts of first-degree murder for killing Tiru Chabba and Robert Morales in the shooting on April 17 on the campus of the Florida State University. (He is also facing additional charges.)
Last week, Ikner waived his right to speedy trial. Also last week, pursuant to the requirements in Florida’s capital sentencing scheme, the State filed its Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty against Ikner.
In its Notice, the State indicated that it intends to prove six aggravating factors:
Note that Florida’s newest aggravating factor for murders that occur at certain gatherings, including gatherings for school activities (more here), is not included in the Notice.1 The new law does not go into effect until October 1, 2025.
A case management conference is set for July 16.
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This is not meant to suggest either way whether the new aggravating factor would apply to Ikner’s case but only to note that the new aggravating factor has not yet gone into effect.