This afternoon Keyion Cordavion Linton, 22, was sentenced to life in prison for Kidnapping. He was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for Aggravated Battery with a Firearm Causing Great Harm which will be served concurrent to the first count. He also received 5 years in prison for Tampering with a Witness, Victim, or Informant to be served consecutive to the prior two counts. Linton was found guilty as charged in June following a two day trial in Collier County.
In July 2016 the then 17 year old male victim received a text from his girlfriend asking him to meet with her ex-boyfriend. Linton, the ex-boyfriend, then came to the victim’s home and he stepped outside. Linton took his phone and began looking through text messages between the victim and his girlfriend.
Linton then pulled out a handgun and forced the teenager to start walking towards a nearby drug store on Golden Gate Parkway. A car then pulled up and Linton made the victim get inside. The defendant then drove them to an apartment complex on Airport Road.
Linton then forced the victim, at gunpoint, to walk to a nearby community park where he again went through his text messages. He then pointed the gun in the teen’s face and demanded that he walk into a wooded area but he refused. Linton then shot him in the shoulder and in the back. The defendant then dragged the victim into the woods and told him that he was going to die. Linton left to go get a knife, came back and stabbed the teen in the throat. A friend of Linton’s then convinced him to take the victim to the hospital but Linton threatened to kill the teen if he told police what happened.
The defendant took the victim to the hospital with a concocted story about what happened. Initially the teen told the same story but a few days later the victim felt safe telling the truth and the defendant was arrested in Suwannee County.
Luckily, the victim survived his injuries. Assistant State Attorneys Laura Mason and Deborah Cunningham prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
239-533-1125
ssyoen@sao20.org