‘Sexual predator hired hitmen to kill teen girl accuser to prevent her testimony’
A man allegedly hired hitmen to kill a teenage girl who accused him of sexually assaulting her in order to prevent her from testifying against him in court.
The 17-year-old girl and her mother, both unidentified, went to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in February to report that the teen had been sexually assaulted by Lenard White, 36, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.
White proceeded to hire Sheldon Robinson, 21, and Keshawn Woods, 22, for $10,000 to murder the teen ‘to prevent her from further pursuing criminal charges against him’, stated the US attorney’s office on Thursday.
The next day, Robinson and Woods went to the teen and her mother’s home and knocked on the door.
‘When the door was opened, a barrage of gunshots were fired’ at the teen and her mom, the US attorney’s office stated.
The girl was shot four times and died. Her mother was also shot but survived.
A federal investigation ensued, during which White, Robinson and Robinson’s mother Janet Williams, 44, ‘attempted to hinder the investigation by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and making false statements to law enforcement’, according to the US attorney’s office.
The suspects were all taken into custody.
Deputies identified the girl as Isabella Scavelli, a junior at Hernando High School, Fox 13 reported.
White, Robinson and Woods have been charged with murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, discharge of a firearm during a crime causing death and discharge of a firearm furthering a violent crime.
Additionally, White and Robinson were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, obstruction of justice and tampering with a witness. Williams has been charged with multiple counts of making false statements to federal agents.
White, Robinson and Woods each face mandatory life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted on all counts. White and Robinson are under state custody and slated to make their initial court appearances on Thursday.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.