Two men found guilty in 2015 shooting death of Shores man; both sentenced to life in prison
Twelve jurors listened to lawyers from the defense and the prosecution present their cases Aug. 22-25 during a murder trial at the Marion County Judicial Center in Ocala. Two co-defendants were standing trial, both charged in the 2018 shooting death of a Silver Springs Shores man.
In the end, the jury returned guilty verdicts and the men were sentenced to life in prison.
Here's how the trial unfolded:
Defendants: Brandon Exzavier Dawson, 29, and Brian Charles Pierre Constant, 35.
Charges: Each man was charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and burglary of a dwelling with a firearm.
Lawyers: Daniel Hernandez and Debra Tuomey for the defense and Assistant State Attorneys Amy Berndt and Rich Buxman for the prosecution.
Judge: Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti.
About the case: Sheriff's deputies were called to an address on Southeast 88th Place in late March 2015. Intruders had broken into the residence and fired multiple shots at three people.
Robert Jason "BJ" Wilson, 30, was shot multiple times in his room. He died at the scene. Wilson's mother and daughter, who were in another room, were shot at but not hit or injured.
The state: The prosecutors said Dawson and Constant shot Wilson shot six times, including once in the head, as part of a drug-involved planned killing. They presented text messages, witness testimony and other evidence linking the duo to the crime.
The defense: Lawyers said there actually was no physical or scientific evidence linking the men to the crime, and some witnesses presented by the prosecution were not truthful.
They argued that the victim, who sold drugs from his home, had multiple customers and therefore could have been shot by any number of people who wished him harm. Hernandez said his client, Dawson, was cooperative and willing to do anything to clear his name.
Pointing to the tray of evidence presented by the state, Tuomey said nothing in there connected Constant to the crime. She too hammered on the credibility of the state witnesses.
The third co-defendant: Among the witnesses testifying at trial was Tykheem Lamond Weldon, who was 16 years old at the time of the murder. He accepted a plea deal on charges of first-degree murder and burglary of a dwelling while armed. He was sentenced in 2018 to 10 years in prison and 10 years of probation.
Now, 24, Weldon is scheduled to be released in April 2024. As part of his plea agreement, Weldon must testify truthfully about the incident.
In his testimony, Weldon said the plan was to rob Wilson and take drugs and money. He said he and Dawson, who is his cousin, fired at Wilson. It was the first time Weldon had admitted to shooting Wilson.
Defense lawyers Hernandez and Tuomey tried to characterize Weldon as a liar who was just out to save himself.
Jurors saw photographs of the crime scene and watched a recording of detectives interviewing Dawson.
Neither Dawson nor Constant testified at trial. Only Dawson's lawyer called a witness: Levi Dibble-Hemm, a convicted murderer, who said Weldon told him he was going to frame Dawson and Constant.
Dibble-Hemm, 26, is slated to be released in December 2035.
Jury deliberations: Jurors deliberated for nearly two hours, returning guilty verdicts on all counts for both men.
The death penalty: Marion death row inmate was going to represent himself. The state had no objection.
Sentences: The men were given a chance to say something before sentencing but they declined. The judge sentenced both to life in prison.
More about Dawson and Constant: Constant already is in prison. He was sentenced in a separate case on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. In that case, authorities said, a teenage girl was placed in the trunk of a vehicle at gunpoint. She was later threatened with a firearm, had bleached poured on her, and was beaten and raped. Constant and several co-defendants were charged in that case. His release date is January 2036.
Dawson, who has previously served time in prison and was released in 2018, was taken into custody in 2019 in the murder. Earlier this year, he was charged with being a participant with smuggling contraband into the county jail.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Sentenced: Life in prison for two men found guilty in 2015 shooting death
