OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — An Okaloosa County jury has found a man guilty of second-degree murder in connection with a 2021 stabbing, and he was immediately sentenced to life in prison.
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According to the Office of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, Jerrish Stephens was found guilty on February 26, 2026. The jury also determined Stephens qualified as a prison releasee reoffender.
Judge Lacey Clark presided over the trial and imposed the life sentence following the verdict.
The charges stem from an incident on December 15, 2021, when deputies with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported stabbing at 205 Mountain Drive.
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Upon arrival, deputies discovered Gregory Lacey lying in a parking lot with multiple stab wounds, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant State Attorney Robert Little prosecuted the case on behalf of State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden.
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