Today the Honorable Circuit Court Judge Bruce Kyle, resentenced defendant David Snipes to life in prison, for the 1995 murder of Marcus Mueller.
Snipes was convicted in 1997 of First Degree Murder in the “contract killing” of the victim. Snipes was 17 years, 7 months, and 20 days old, when he killed the man after he opened the door to his Bonita Springs home. The evidence at trial showed Snipes received $1,000 for the murder.
Upon conviction, Snipes was sentenced to death, but that sentence was converted to a life sentence because he was a juvenile.
In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court held that all children, 17 or younger, who were sentenced to life without parole, were entitled to a resentencing, due to their age at the time of the crime.
Snipes will stay incarcerated following today’s resentencing.
Assistant State Attorney Kelly Worcester, of the Post-Conviction Unit, handled the post-conviction case. State Attorney Amira Fox was the original prosecutor on the murder case.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office, Communications Director