Jurors convict Delray Beach man of manslaughter instead of first-degree murder in 2020 killing
WEST PALM BEACH — Jurors late Friday convicted a 43-year-old Delray Beach man, accused of committing first-degree murder in 2020, with the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Bachir Osias said he feared for his life when he aimed his gun out a car window and fired three shots at 23-year-old Jeff Estime, who drove slowly past him in a neighborhood near Military Trail and Lake Ida Road.
Their encounter on Dec. 4, 2020, lasted roughly five seconds, by the end of which Estime had crashed his car into a mailbox. Passersby found him slumped forward in the driver's seat, bleeding from his torso, wrist and above the lip.
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Broward County sheriff's deputies arrested Osias three days later on an outstanding warrant from a previous assault charge. They found the gun used to kill Estime tucked in Osias' waistband while they made the arrest, according to court records. He'd bought it one week prior.
Osias asked Circuit Judge Cheryl Caracuzzo in December to dismiss the murder charge based off Florida's "stand your ground" law, which allows shootings in self-defense cases. He alleged that Estime pointed a gun at him first, although prosecutors argued there was no evidence that Estime had a gun at the time of the shooting.
Caracuzzo denied Osias' request to drop the charge, leaving jurors to weigh whether his use of force was justified. They considered Estime's reputation and his physical abilities, as well as the likelihood that Osias' feared for his life during their encounter, to make the decision.
Osias' defense team also pointed to an incident that occurred three months before the shooting, in which he reported Estime to Delray Beach police for allegedly threatening him with a gun.
Jurors unanimously convicted Osias of the lesser charge of manslaughter with a weapon, a first-degree felony for which he faces up to 30 years in prison, after deliberating for four hours Friday evening.
Circuit Judge Sarah Willis will sentence him at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 9.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man convicted of manslaughter in 2020 death of Jeff Estime of Delray Beach
