The man, John Mosley Jr., received a life sentence for the murder of Lynda Wilkes and a death sentence for the murder of her son, Jay-Quan Mosley, in 2005.
Wilkes and her son went missing in 2004, and a month later, authorities discovered Wilkes’ burned body in Alachua County. Jay-Quan’s body was never found.
Mosley was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors claimed that he killed Wilkes and the baby after she asked him for child support. Mosley denied being the baby’s father and exercised his right to a speedy trial.
In 2016, the death sentence was overturned because the jury’s vote was not unanimous. Mosley filed for a new trial in 2018, citing new evidence.
A resentencing hearing took place in 2019, and the jury unanimously supported the death penalty.
Shortly before the final phase of the death penalty case, Mosley expressed his desire to represent himself as his own lawyer. However, the judge denied this request and reaffirmed the death sentence in January 2020.
Mosley appealed once again, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor, stating that he should have been allowed to represent himself during the hearing.
In a hearing on May 31, with legal representation, Mosley was once again sentenced to death on Friday.
He continues to deny being the father of Jay-Quan.
Since this third death sentence pertains to the original case, there will likely be several years of appeals in both state and federal courts.
