A federal judge sentenced two men to life in prison on Friday, March 13, for orchestrating and carrying out a plot to murder a 17-year-old Hernando County girl, a crime meant to silence her claims of sexual assault. Lenard White and Sheldon Robinson were both convicted last year of conspiracy to commit murder and other crimes related to the 2023 shooting of Isabella Scavelli.
Isabella Scavelli, a student at Hernando High School in Brooksville, was killed in a barrage of gunfire after her mother answered a late-night knock at their door. According to prosecutors, the killing grew out of White’s concerns that he may go to prison for sexually abusing Scavelli. Two days before her murder, she went to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office to report that White, who had dated her sister, had sexually assaulted her.
U.S. District Judge William Jung imposed multiple life sentences for each man, remarking on the heinousness of the crime. “I’ve never seen anything so bad in my entire 67 years I’ve been alive,” Jung said. The incident has sent shockwaves through the Hernando County community, highlighting concerns about sexual assault and the safety of local residents.
Robinson and White were found guilty of their roles in the murder, with the prosecution presenting evidence that they conspired to commit the crime to prevent Scavelli from exposing White’s alleged abuse. The case has been closely followed by local law enforcement and the community, with many calling for increased awareness and prevention of such crimes.
Originally reported by Suncoast News – Brooksville
Sources: Suncoast News – Brooksville
