Janari Richardson was sentenced to life in prison for Second Degree Murder with a Firearm and 40 years in prison for Robbery with a Firearm.
There will be a review after 20 years in prison, for both counts, as the defendant was a juvenile, 17 years old, at the time of the crime. Assistant State Attorney Caitlin Sorenson direct filed the case into adult court from juvenile court and prosecuted the case with Assistant State Attorney Jillian Kuykendall.
The defendant made an open plea to the court in March. An open plea is when a defendant gives up their right to a jury trial and makes a plea to the court for sentencing. It is not a plea agreement.
The defendant murdered a man in the parking lot of a Punta Gorda apartment complex in May 2023. The victim was shot to death in his car. The Punta Gorda Police Department investigated the case and their investigation led to the identity of the defendant, who lived in Arcadia, as the shooter. The investigation revealed the defendant robbed the victim and then murdered him.
The U.S. Marshals Federal Fugitive Task Force arrested the defendant in Arcadia.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director