HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – Three men are accused in the contract killing of a 17-year-old girl to keep her from testifying against one of them in a sex assault case, according to WFTS.
Investigators in Hernando County said Lenard White, 36, hired Keshawn Woods, 22, and Sheldon Robinson, 21, to kill the victim, Isabella Scavelli, after she and her mother reported to authorities she had been assaulted.
Recommended Videos
The Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said the teen reported in February 2023 that she was sexually battered by White. The day after she reported to deputies the incident, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Roger Handberg said Woods and Robinson went to the girl’s home and fired several shots inside when the door was opened. She was shot four times.
“The bullet that caused her death entered her lower left back area suggesting that she was shot in the back as she was trying to run for cover. Robinson and Woods did not act on their own that night. They did so on behalf of Lenard White, the man who sexually assaulted the child, and who paid Robinson and Woods approximately $10,000 to murder the child so that White could avoid prosecution,” Handberg said.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
According to Nienhuis, White paid Robinson $10,000 to kill the girl and Robinson asked for help on social media for the job, getting Woods to assist.
The girl’s mother was also hurt, but she survived, WFTS said.
“She was a good kid, with a very bright future. And to see her life cut short is heart-wrenching to say the least. Words can’t even express it,” Nienhuis said.
The three men face multiple charges, including federal charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder for hire.
If convicted, they each face the death penalty.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: