Polk County: Beloni Petit-Free sentenced to LWOP
On March 13, Petit-Free was sentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP) rather than death following the jury's recommendation.
On Tuesday, March 4, a Polk County jury found Beloni Petit-Free guilt of two counts of first-degree murder for crimes that occurred in 2020.
The penalty phase went forth last week. On March 13, the jury (five men and seven women according to The Ledger) deliberated for approximately two hours before reaching a sentencing verdict.
The jury found that the State proved three of the four proposed aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt before recommending that Petit-Free be sentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP) rather than death.
Under Florida’s current capital sentencing scheme, the trial court had to sentence Petit-Free to LWOP following the jury’s recommendation. Accordingly, the trial court sentenced Petit-Free to LWOP on both counts following the jury’s penalty phase verdict.
News Articles
The Ledger on guilty verdict
The Ledger on sentence
Were the murders race motivated?
The victims of those "two murders" were Timothy Anderson and Leslee Umpleby. Both were brutally stabbed to death.