Two Lake Brantley High School students will remain behind bars without bond as they face charges for a premeditated plot to kill a fellow student. A judge delivered the ruling on Wednesday after prosecutors detailed a plan motivated by a fixation on the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter.
Lois Lippert, 14, and Isabelle Valdez, 15, are being charged as adults for attempted premeditated murder. Valdez, who identifies as transgender and goes by the name Jimmy, is accused of orchestrating the plan and stalking the target. Investigators allege Lippert assisted in gathering materials and supported the execution of the attack.
The prosecution revealed a motive that Assistant State Attorney Domenick Leo described as a “ritual.” The teens reportedly targeted a male classmate because they believed he resembled the Sandy Hook gunman. According to court testimony, they allegedly believed that killing the boy would resurrect the deceased shooter.
“The plan was to grab the young man, push him into a stall, stab him or slice his throat,” Leo told the court. “It was a desire to create a blood bond to bring the fellow back to life.”
READ: Florida Task Force Nets 400 Illegal Immigrant Sex Offenders In Statewide Sweep
The plot was interrupted on January 22 after a student submitted an anonymous tip through the FortifyFL safety app. The report warned officials that a student intended to kill a classmate the following day. When Lippert and Valdez arrived at school on January 23, law enforcement was already positioned to intervene. By 7:38 a.m., school security had removed Valdez from class.
During the hearing, prosecutors played police cruiser footage captured after the arrests. The video showed the two teenagers discussing their potential sentences. “We’re probably going to get like a minimum of four years or so,” Valdez said in the recording. When Lippert disputed the timeframe, Valdez replied, “Yes you are. You helped.”
The footage also captured Valdez expressing regret that the attack had not been carried out sooner, stating, “I should have done it in the morning. He was right there. I was following behind him.”
Items recovered during the investigation included a knife brought to the school campus, as well as flowers, candy, and cigarettes intended for use in the alleged ritual. Defense attorneys sought to have the teens released to their parents, but the request was flatly denied.
“I certainly understand that parents want their children home, but this is not the case,” Leo argued during the proceedings.
Both suspects have pleaded not guilty. The investigation is ongoing as the state prepares to move forward with the attempted murder case.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
