A jury in Florida delivered a guilty verdict on Friday, October 17, 2025, finding 32-year-old Darion Dontae McGee of Leesburg guilty of First-Degree Murder for the death of 38-year-old Mustafa Hasan Connelly. McGee now faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison following his conviction.
The verdict closes a nearly four-year investigation into the shocking and brutal murder that occurred on December 17, 2021. On that day, deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a vacant lot off Veech Road in Leesburg after a caller reported hearing gunshots and seeing a person who had been shot and set on fire.
Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered an unidentified male, later identified as Mustafa Connelly, lying lifeless and ablaze outside the passenger side of a vehicle. After the fire was extinguished and a crime scene perimeter established, authorities used the vehicle’s license plate to identify the registered owner, who confirmed the victim’s identity.
Evidence collected at the scene was pivotal to the case. Officials noted Connelly had apparent gunshot wounds to his back, and spent shell casings were found near the rear passenger side of the vehicle. A latent fingerprint was lifted from the vehicle.
The investigation, led by Detective Mercer, quickly focused on McGee. Witnesses, including the victim’s family, informed detectives that Connelly had been messaging with McGee earlier that day and was planning a meeting.
Warranted phone records for McGee further established his connection to the crime, placing the defendant at the incident location on the day of the murder. The records also showed a conversation where McGee explicitly requested a face-to-face meeting with Connelly.
The final piece of evidence connecting McGee to the crime was the latent print from the vehicle, which was forensically matched to the defendant. Following this conclusive evidence, a warrant was issued for McGee’s arrest.
With the jury’s guilty finding, McGee is now set to receive a mandatory life sentence for the murder of Mustafa Hasan Connelly.
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