Teenager convicted of second-degree murder in DeLand killing
Two years ago, a dying man told police as he struggled to breathe that a teenager shot him and identified the suspect.
On Wednesday, Kveon Asun Jiles, 17, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2021 killing of LaRoyce Covington.
The jury of four women and two men deliberated for about 2 1/2 hours before returning the verdict in Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols’ courtroom at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand.
A sentencing date has yet to be set. Jiles faces up to life in prison. But because he was a juvenile when the shooting occurred, he is entitled to a sentence review after serving 25 years.
Jiles had turned 16 just 13 days prior to the July 21, 2021, shooting on East Walts Avenue in DeLand.
When police responded at about 11:08 p.m., they found Covington on the ground pleading for help, according to a charging affidavit.
Covington told a police officer, “Kveon shot me, dog," the affidavit stated.
The officer responded, “Who Kveon? You said Kveon?”
“Yeah,” Covington responded.
“Jiles?" the officer asked.
“Jiles,” Covington replied.
Then Covington stated: “Oh man, I ain’t going to make it, I can’t breathe.”
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Jiles watched a police body camera video that recorded the exchange between Covington and the officer.
He did not testify.
About a month after the shooting, a man found the murder weapon when he snagged a bag while fishing at Blue Lake near DeLand. The disassembled AR-15 pistol along with a Glock pistol were inside the bag.
The AR-15 pistol was among three guns stolen on Feb. 8, 2021, from an SUV parked at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, according to investigators.
Casino security video recorded Jiles and three other men walking in the casino parking garage that night and at least one of them appeared to be involved in the theft, according to court records.
The Glock found in the bag in the lake was not among the guns stolen from the SUV.
Covington suffered two gunshot wounds, one to the chest and the other lower on his trunk, according to Assistant State Attorney Jean Stratis.
Stratis told jurors during her closing argument that the state did not have a motive for the murder, but it didn’t need one to make the case.
Stratis also told them there was no question who Covington said shot him.
Jiles' defense attorney, Sean Landers, said that the state had no video evidence that Jiles had been the shooter.
Landers is an attorney with the Baez Law Firm in Orlando. Attorney Jose A. Baez became famous when he successfully defended Casey Anthony in 2011 in the death of her daughter. Baez did not participate in the Jiles trial.
Landers also told jurors that it was a police officer who interjected Jiles’ last name when the officer arrived at the scene. That was in response to Covington saying Kveon shot him.
The courtroom was packed with family members on either side of the case. Some of Covington's family members cried and hugged Stratis and a police officer who worked on the case.
Covington's sister, Tuesday Marks, said as she left the courtroom that they don't know why Jiles shot her brother. But they were thankful for the jury's verdict.
"We got justice for my brother," she said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida teen faces up to life in prison, convicted of 2nd-degree murder
