Sarasota judge sentences Nokomis man to 25 years prison for fatal 2021 hit-and-run

A Nokomis man who was found guilty in connection to a hit-and-run crash in November 2021 that killed one man and injured another was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of probation Wednesday afternoon.

Robert Knowlton, 49, appeared in a sparsely filled courtroom Wednesday, donning an orange Sarasota County Jail jumpsuit and sitting between his two attorneys. During the sentencing hearing, Knowlton declined to give an allocution before the judge and asked for a downward departure from the mandatory minimum of almost 17 years in prison. The state was seeking a 20-year sentence.

Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Dana Moss before reading her decision, decided against a downward departure and stated the sentences would all run concurrent to each other.

In late January 2024, a six-person jury found Knowlton guilty on eight counts after only 45 minutes of deliberation following a week-long trial.

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Knowlton was charged with leaving a scene of a crash with death, leaving a scene of a crash with bodily injury, driving while license suspended and causing death, driving while license suspended and causing bodily injury, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash, failure of a defendant on bail to appear and vehicular homicide.

For the charge of leaving the scene of a crash, Knowlton was sentenced to 60 days in jail with credit for time served. Knowlton has been incarcerated at the Sarasota County Jail for about two years, according to court records.

Of the seven other counts, Moss sentenced Knowlton to 25 years in prison followed by five years of probation for both leaving the scene of crash with death and vehicular homicide, and 202.95 months in prison with credit for time served for the five other counts.

Knowlton was also sentenced to a mental health evaluation and treatment, substance abuse evaluation and treatment and is prohibited from drinking alcohol.

On Nov. 11, 2021, Florida Highway Patrol investigators were called to a crash on Laurel Road where a 2004 Chevy Silverado first plowed past an SUV causing rear damage before taking off, running through a red light and crashing into a red Mazda Miata and a Toyota Tacoma truck.

When law enforcement arrived, 52-year-old Fabio Wakizaka was pronounced dead, then 63-year-old David Crawford had a fractured wrist and the driver of the truck that collided with the others was nowhere to be found.

Crawford and two other witnesses were able to give law enforcement a description of a man near the truck that crashed into the others, however, Crawford's description did not match Knowlton's appearance, a point the defense pointed out during trial.

Just hours after the crash, according to testimony and reports, law enforcement arrived at a home on Rustic Road to find who would later become their suspect, Knowlton, covered in mud and blood, a large laceration on his left forearm and a cut on the bridge of his nose.

Knowlton denied being the driver of the truck the night of the accident, claiming that he had no recollection of the night of the accident and that the last thing he recalled was having dinner the night of Nov. 10 with his fiancé and then waking up in a ditch a couple miles from his home during the early hours of Nov. 12. Knowlton testified during trial he didn't tell investigators or paramedics that he had been the single occupant driver in a crash.

Victim's wife, second victim speak out through letters

Fabio Wakizaka's wife couldn't bring herself to be back in the courtroom for Knowlton's sentencing, she said in a letter read before the judge by Assistant State Attorney Megan Leaf. The trial had brought up too much pain.

Wakizaka's wife recalled the last morning she spent with her husband: he had driven their youngest child, then 17, to school, giving them a kiss and tight hug, telling them "I love you" and "See you later." Wakizaka then returned home to enjoy breakfast with his wife and to watch their favorite soap opera, like they always did, before preparing dinner and heading to work.

"Yes, even after our 22 years of marriage, we loved each other like it was the first day," Leaf read.

Wakizaka's wife described her husband as living a life of honestly, fairness and love, and that his children are proud of him and have followed his example.

Wakizaka's wife stated that many of the family's dreams were taken away from them the day her husband was "abruptly removed from this world" just five minutes away from their home and that many couldn't believe that he had died in a car crash as he was such a safe driver.

She described how her husband will never be able to see his children finish their schooling, find love and get married, how he will never get to see his grandchildren and how he won't be able to fulfill his dreams.

"Pain and longing will never stop being a part of our lives," the letter concluded. "Goodbye to the son, brother, friend, father and my great love."

Another letter written by Holly Knight, the driver of the SUV that the Silverado truck plowed past at the first intersection, was also read before the judge describing how the accident is "an undesirable memory I will never forget."

Knight recounted how she will forever be haunted by the sound of crunching glass and her grandson's screams as the truck hit her SUV, causing such severe damage that her vehicle — which she had just paid off —was declared totaled. Knight added that the crash has been a huge financial burden on her now that she has to pay for another car, and a physical burden as the aches and pains have been ongoing.

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'He is not a monster': Knowlton's fiancé stands up for her 'best friend'

Lauren Gomez, Knowlton's romantic partner of six years, was adamant that her fiancé was not a monster, repeating the phrase several times during her testimony Wednesday.

She instead described him as being someone who has helped others — from caring for his sick mother to never missing any of his kids' sporting events to even helping a stranger in a truck and trailer on the side of I-75 who had run out of gas in the pouring rain.

Gomez spoke of how Knowlton had worked hard in his life and worked to help others on his crew, hiring a lot of men when others wouldn't have given them a chance.

Gomez described how she first met Knowlton in June 2017 after he had overheard her on the phone trying find a place to house her dogs and how he had offered to house the dogs for her.

"I knew that he was a man with an actual heart," Gomez said.

Gomez said Knowlton didn't deserve to be behind bars, that he'd already been behind bars for two years and despite that, he still communicated with his children and tried to be there for them. She added that Knowlton wasn't the monster that the prosecutor painted him to be.

"He's my best friend and I love him to the end of the world," Gomez said, adding that by sentencing him, it wasn't just hurting him but many others.

The defense also called on Dr. Wendy Jacobs, a licensed psychologist, who had evaluated Knowlton in December 2023 prior to his trial and found that Knowlton suffered from unspecified depressive disorder. Defense attorney Jerome Meisner presented the judge with information that Knowlton was accepted to First Step, a non-profit substance abuse treatment center, that would provide in-patient treatment from six to 18 months for Knowlton.

Leaf pointed out that the Department of Corrections had programs within its prisons to help those suffering from substance and alcohol abuse.

Meisner also told the judge that Knowlton was willing to provide information to the state about a money laundering scheme. However, Leaf said that the State Attorney's Office declined the offer as no actual information was provided about the scheme.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on X: @GabrielaSzyman3.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Nokomis man sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatal 2021 hit-and-run