Springfield man sentenced to four life terms, plus more than 125 years in prison

Nathan Cobb, The News Herald
·2 min read
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One tourist was rescued from the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday off Public Beach Access 21 in unincorporated Bay County.

PANAMA CITY — A Springfield man was sentenced to four life sentences and more than 125 years in prison after he broke into a home, sexually assaulted two people and threatened to have them killed if they called the police.

According to a press release from the State Attorney's Office of the 14th Judicial Circuit, Jason Dowdell, a 38-year-old Springfield resident, was sentenced Friday to serve four life terms, three 30-year terms and seven five-year terms in prison for 15 convicted offenses.

Dowdell was convicted in August of three counts of sexual battery, three counts of false imprisonment, three counts of tampering with a witness or victim, three counts of aggravated assault and battery, one count of burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery, one count of child abuse and one count of battery.

"(Dowdell) will not receive any gain time, (and) he must serve every day of the sentences," the release reads. "Judge Gray also ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, or one after the other."

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The State Attorney's Office notes Dowdell was declared a prison-release reoffender and sexual predator.

Prosecutors Barbara Beasley and Jennifer Lieb presented evidence at Dowdell's trial that showed he forced his way into a home in May 2021 armed with a knife. There were three people in the home, two of which Dowdell sexually assaulted, and he assaulted one victim twice.

Officials with the State Attorney's Office said he also threatened to have the three people in the home killed if they called the police.

The prosecutors presented jurors with almost 30 pieces of evidence, including DNA findings and the knife used in the crime.

"Beasley and Lieb called 14 witnesses during the one-day trial Aug. 18, including three victims, Florida Department of Law Enforcement experts and five Springfield police officers," the release reads.

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Springfield man gets 4 life terms for home-invasion sexual batteries