TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A Tallahassee man was found guilty in relation to a May 2020 incident at an apartment on Mission Road.
The Office of the State Attorney of the Second Judicial Circuit of Florida announced Tuesday Anthony McInnis was found guilty Friday, July 21 by a jury in a Leon County courtroom of first-degree murder and grand theft of a firearm.
Prior to the verdict, the jury deliberated for one hour and 30 minutes.
McInnis is facing a mandatory life sentence for the first-degree murder offense in Florida's prison system.
A date for sentencing has not been set.
The state attorney’s office said on May 29, 2020, the Tallahassee Police Department responded to a 911 call stating there was an emergency at 2616 Mission Road in apartment 130.
When officers arrived, they found Lamar Nelson, in his bead suffering from two gunshot wounds to the head and face.
The state attorney’s office said Nelson was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the room, Nelson’s belongings like a cell phone, Apple watch, firearms and unique jewelry were missing.
The Tallahassee Police Department determined that Nelson was selling cannabis out of his apartment and he would regularly have good amount of cannabis and money inside his bedroom.
The state attorney’s office noted that the police department interviewed Nelson’s friends and family, which led to the police department to focus on McInnis as a possible suspect as McInnis and Nelson were friends and routinely conducted cannabis business transitions together.
The police department was able to gather that the two had a separation regarding their business relationship in the weeks leading up to the murder.
The state attorney’s office noted that a red sedan with a unique license plate was parked in front of Nelson’s apartment at the time of the homicide.
The police department determined that McInnis’ girlfriend had rented a red Ford Fiesta on May 24, 2020 and the vehicle was returned one day after Nelson’s murder.
A witness also stated seeing a person they knew as “Tony” leaving Nelson’s apartment and getting into a red sedan and driving away shortly after 6:10 p.m. on May 29, 2020.
The same witness also said to have heard a loud noise coming from Nelson’s apartment. The witness identified “Tony” to the Tallahassee Police Department as McInnis.
A search warrant was executed at McInnis’ apartment and Nelson’s Apple watch, handgun and jewelry belonging were found.
A test of a firearm that was found in McInnis’ apartment was confirmed to have fired the bullet and cartridge case that were located in Nelson’s bed next to his body.
In an interview with the Tallahassee Police Department, McInnis said he was defending himself and claimed threats made by the victim towards him.
The state attorney’s office noted that McInnis provided different accounts of what he was doing the day Nelson was killed and accused other innocent people of killing Nelson.
During the trial in court, McInnis said the death occurred because of self-defense.
