Background: News footage of Patrick Watson in court on Dec. 16 as he heard his guilty verdict (WCJB). Inset: D”halani Armstrong (Phillip & Sons Funeral Directors).
A Florida man responsible for a deadly home invasion that resulted in the tragic death of a young woman will now face life in prison.
Patrick Watson, aged 52, was found guilty by an Alachua County jury on Tuesday. The conviction included a life sentence without parole for orchestrating a home invasion that led to the fatal shooting of 20-year-old D’halani Armstrong.
As reported by WCJB, a local ABC affiliate, prosecutors revealed that Watson had recruited three men, supplying them with weapons, money, and drugs. He provided them with information about their target, urging them to “Find a way.” Before they descended on the victim’s Gainesville home on July 19, 2022, Watson assured them a portion of any loot they obtained.
During the trial, the jury heard testimonies from the individuals Watson had recruited for the heist. All three had accepted plea deals and were sentenced for their roles in the crime. Watson faced charges of first-degree murder, armed home invasion, solicitation to commit armed burglary, and felony possession of a weapon, and was found guilty on all counts.
According to court documents sourced by WCJB, Tiara Luckie drove Alderious White and Jason Ward to the Gainesville residence, remaining in the car as the two men forced entry. Their first encounter was with Armstrong, who White shot immediately. Meanwhile, Armstrong’s uncle, Dovico Miles, was held at gunpoint by Ward.
Miles managed to wrestle a gun from the assailants and fired shots at White and Ward as they attempted to flee. Both men were hit but sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Ward managed to make it back to the car, where Luckie drove him away, while White was apprehended at the scene.
Miles was initially charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, but those charges were dropped.
Luckie, Ward, and White all testified at Watson’s trial, which the defense tried to argue was less than reliable. Watson’s defense attorney said during closing arguments that without their testimony, “they have absolutely no evidence that my client engaged in any type of criminal conduct.”
The jury, however, disagreed. The judge was also not swayed, telling Watson while handing him his life sentence, “It is my intention that you serve the rest of your life in prison, and never be released until you die. And then your body may be removed from the Department of Corrections.”
