Sentencing delayed again for Sarasota man in second-degree murder, attempted murder case

The sentencing of a 20-year-old Sarasota man has been delayed again after a judge granted the defendant's right to have a Department of Juvenile Justice assessment before a decision.

The turn of events came Wednesday during what was supposed to be the conclusion of the sentencing of Darion Lee, who was found guilty of second-degree murder and attempted murder last July.

Lee was arrested in November 2019 after he turned himself in following a shooting near Carver Street and Orange Avenue that wounded both Le’Quavious Claridy, 21, and Sas Young, 17.

Claridy later died at the hospital from his injuries.

Lee was 16 years old at the time.

A pre-sentencing investigation was completed by the Florida Department of Corrections for the hearing, but because Lee was a minor when the crime was committed, he is entitled under Florida law to an assessment by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The assessment was seemingly never requested, and Lee opted for it before being sentenced.

The assessment is expected to take a couple of weeks.

Previous reporting: Teenager arrested in Sarasota shooting that left 2 in critical condition

Verdict: Jury finds Sarasota man, 20, guilty of murder, attempted murder in 2019 shooting

Sarasota Circuit Court Judge Thomas Krug pointed out that with Lee turning 21 in March, it may be impossible for him to sentence Lee to the juvenile justice system. Once a final sentencing date is scheduled, Krug told attorneys he will make a decision the same day.

Wednesday's proceeding came more than a month after Claridy's mother presented her witness statement on Dec. 2, when she offered forgiveness to Lee.

An affidavit in the case states the shooting followed a dispute over a dirt bike involving Lee and Young, both students at Triad Alternative School.

When police arrived, two victims were on the ground near pools of blood, reports stated.

Claridy was in a coma following the shooting, but when he awoke, he told his aunt Lee had shot him and repeated the name to detectives who interviewed him at the hospital, according to her testimony during the trial.

At least four witnesses testified that when they asked Claridy both at the scene and in the hospital who had shot him, he responded it had been “Darion Lee,” and described Lee as being heavy set with short dreads.

Father expresses remorse, defends son on stand

Lee appeared in court Wednesday morning wearing a yellow jail jumpsuit and remained stoic during the proceeding, including when his father, Stephen Lee, took the stand to offer the judge insight and defend his son.

Stephen Lee, who testified he served time in prison when Darion Lee was a child, apologized to Claridy's family before explaining that he tried his best when raising his children. He broke into tears several times, rubbing tissues across his eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts.

“If someone had brought it to my attention, I would have handled it," the 51-year-old said, placing blame on the staff of Triad for not contacting the family about his son's outbursts and misbehavior.

The father of 12 explained to Krug that his son had been picked on constantly at school, specifically about his appearance, and that the reason his son fought with people was due to the neighborhood's culture. Lee asserted that many adhere to the "snitches get stiches" mentality and instead of speaking out about what was happening to him, his son chose to fight.

Dr. Eddy Regnier, a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist, also testified that Darion Lee suffers from multiple disorders, including intermittent explosive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, which contributed to his combative behavior.

The psychologist spent many hours in a private room with Lee in November, according to his testimony. He also diagnosed Lee as suffering from depression, noted that he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child but never medically treated as his mother didn't want to put her son on medications, and has a learning disability due to his short-term attention span.

Regnier also said Lee had early signs of a schizoid personality disorder that leave him ambivalent toward social attention and love, and does not respond to praise or punishment.

Asked by the defense if the conditions play a part in the 30 to 40 altercations Lee has been involved in while incarcerated at the Sarasota County Jail for almost five years, Regnier concurred. He explained that because Lee's comprehension ability is very low, when someone talks to him, he is unable to understand and thinks people are plotting against him, so he fights so that he will be sent to isolation.

"This is someone who doesn’t trust anyone," Regnier said. "He’s been fighting since he’s a child."

In her questioning, Assistant State Attorney Megan Leaf highlighted that Lee had access to services and medications which could have helped his disabilities, but his mother opted to not use them.

Ongoing coverage: Sarasota judge to interview 'Take Care of Maya' case juror over alleged misconduct

More: How many mass shootings were there in Florida in 2023? State's total down slightly

Leaf also pointed out that while juveniles may lack impulse control, which can impact judgment, it doesn't impair their moral compass. In Lee's case, he also had a caring mother, a father who was out of prison during his adolescent years and spent weekends with him, and there were no reports of child abuse or neglect.

Regnier countered that external factors, specifically peer pressure, affected Lee.

But on the night of the shooting, Leaf stated that Lee was in a car by himself when he found Claridy and Young riding on a single bicycle and chose to follow and shoot them.

But, said Regnier, if you put someone in an environment where they're told from a young age that you're supposed to protect yourself and your property and if you don’t, you’re weak, and if that person is mentally ill, the effect can be powerful.

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 Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sentencing delayed again for Sarasota man for shooting when he was 16