Crestview man pleads no contest to 2021 murder
OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — A Crestview man has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder with a firearm, according to Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida.
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On Aug. 21, 2021, a friend of Johnny Lee Akins visited his home, after which a witness said she heard what sounded like a firecracker before seeing Akins in his bedroom.
Another witness, who entered the room, said they saw Akins wrapping a body in a comforter. Akins left the home with the victim’s body in a vehicle and headed toward Pensacola, according to a news release from Bowden Madden’s office.
Akins fled from Escambia County deputies in Pensacola before being detained, the release said. Deputies found the dead victim, with obvious gunshot wounds, wrapped in a comforter in the vehicle’s trunk.
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Akins — who was arrested and has remained in custody since the incident — faces the mandatory minimum of 25 years and a maximum of life under Florida’s 10-20-Life law.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 29, 2024.
The Crestview Police Department handled the investigation and arrest, with help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant State Attorney Michelle Sandler prosecuted this case on behalf of Bowden Madden.
What is Florida’s 10-20-Life law?
Florida’s “10-20-Life” law refers to the state’s stance on crimes committed with a firearm.
Here’s a breakdown of 10-20-Life from the Law Offices of Edwards and Jones:
Under Florida law, “producing a firearm during certain felony crimes mandates a 10-year sentence; firing the gun mandates a 20-year sentence; and shooting someone during the commission of a felony mandates a minimum sentence of 25 years to life in prison,” its website states.
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