A Florida jury has handed down a guilty verdict in a case that started with drinks between friends and ended in a fatal shooting over a distinct lack of respect for property.
Lloyd Preston Brewer III, 57, was convicted of first-degree murder this past week. The charge stems from the death of 21-year-old Garrett Hughes in February 2023. The motive that shocked the courtroom? Brewer shot Hughes because the younger man urinated on the side of a strip mall building that Brewer owned.
A Night Gone Wrong
The incident took place on February 13, 2023. According to reports from WKRC, the two men were drinking at the Conch Town Liquor & Lounge, a bar located within Brewer’s strip mall.
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Security footage played a key role in the trial. The video showed Hughes walking out of the bar without a shirt on. Brewer followed him out. When Hughes walked over to the wall of the building to relieve himself, Brewer pulled a gun and shot him in the abdomen.
By the time help arrived, it was too late. Hughes’ friends, who were nearby, called 911 immediately, but officials say Hughes died before he could even be taken to a hospital.
“No Justifiable Claim”
During the trial, Brewer claimed he acted in self-defense. However, prosecutors argued that the video evidence completely contradicted his story. Both men were intoxicated, but the physical threat came only from one side.
Assistant Monroe County State Attorney Joseph Mansfield explained that the victim was never a threat.
“There is no justifiable claim to self-defense because the kid was never armed and never advanced on the shooter, the shooter advanced on him,” Mansfield said.
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Following the verdict on January 21, Mansfield noted that the jury simply didn’t believe Brewer’s version of events. They viewed the evidence and determined this was a “premeditated killing.”
The Lawsuits and Sentencing
Brewer is currently facing more than just criminal charges. Back in April 2023, Hughes’ parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit. They are suing Brewer and the companies involved, arguing that the bar was responsible for the tragedy because they served “excessive amounts of alcohol” to Brewer, whom the lawsuit describes as a “known, habitual drunkard.”
With the first-degree murder conviction now on the books, Brewer remains in custody. He is scheduled to face a judge for sentencing on February 26.
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