Jury finds Fort Myers man guilty in Mother's Day murder that netted $60

Tomas Rodriguez, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
1

A Fort Myers man, one of five people accused of planning a fatal Mother's Day 2018 robbery that netted them $60, was found guilty Wednesday.

The jury found Taquan Ramel Brown, 32, guilty of manslaughter, robbery and conspiracy following an eight-day trial in Lee County.

Prior:Fort Myers man gets 35-year sentence in Mother's Day 2018 killing; co-defendant trial set

Correction officers arrested:LCSO announces two correction officers arrested; accused of scalding inmates

On May 13, 2018, just after 2 a.m., Fort Myers Police arrived on the 300 block of Louise Avenue in Fort Myers where they found Daryl D. Scott, 32, had been beaten and shot.

He died less than an hour later at a nearby hospital.

Detectives collected evidence, uncovering a conspiracy to target the victim and lure him to a location to rob him. Scott had $60 taken from him. He had a friend with him who was shot at, but ran away and got help.

Brown's sentenced is slated March 31.

Where do the other cases stand?

A Fort Myers Police Department investigation into the murder resulted in the arrest of five individuals — Cheyenne Nicole Marron, 27, of Fort Myers; Mario Benitez, 26, of Cape Coral; Roger Ludenas, 26, of Fort Myers; Edey Manuel Cardenas, 25, of Fort Myers; and Brown.

Three co-defendants — Benitez, Cardenas and Marron — have already been sentenced.

Cardenas was adjudicated guilty Tuesday before Lee Circuit Judge Nicholas Thompson and sentenced to 35 years of prison for second-degree murder, attempted felony murder, robbery with a firearm, and witness tampering.

Marron was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison followed by 12.5 years of probation, while Benitez was sentenced to 16 years in prison, followed by 14 years of probation.

Detectives collected surveillance video, cell phone and cell phone tower records, fingerprints, and DNA evidence leading to the identification of Cardenas and the co-defendants.

The fifth defendant, Ludenas, about two months into the case, had the charges dropped.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Co-defendant in 2018 Mother's Day fatal armed robbery found guilty