GUILTY FL - Nicholas Acosta, 19, FAU student, murdered, Boca Raton, 29 Dec 2015

[los2188]

Nicholas M. Acosta

Police ID student shot near Florida Atlantic University

A student died Tuesday after being shot inside student housing near Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton police said.

Police have identified the victim as 19-year-old Nicholas M. Acosta, of Boynton Beach.

According to Police Chief Dan Alexander, a gunman entered the University Park Apartments around 7:20 p.m. and shot Acosta in the torso, Alexander said. He was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said they are looking for at least five suspects.

Witnesses described the scene as frightening.

"A lot of cops," said Nicole Duncan, who was visiting a friend's apartment. "They were circling around telling everybody to go inside the house. Pretty much, there was a shooting on the fourth floor and we were on the second floor."

http://www.wpbf.com/news/police-investigating-shooting-near-florida-atlantic-university/37184682

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.wpbf.com/news/man-arrested-in-fau-killing-didnt-pull-trigger-police-say/37270398

Investigators say Donovan Henry, 19, was one of the five people who barged into Nicholas Acosta's apartment right before the shooting.

Henry is charged with murder.

The other four suspects, including the shooter, are still on the run.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-fau-homicide-update-20160104-story.html

According to an arrest report, Acosta was texting Henry to purchase marijuana from him on Dec. 29... Acosta told Henry the apartment he was in and the access code to the gate...

After the two men entered her apartment, three other men forced their way into the apartment...

They ordered Acosta and his girlfriend to the floor, and when Acosta asked them what was happening, the masked man shot Acosta twice, the girlfriend told police.

 

[dyannaON]

I'm surprised they let the girlfriend leave. She must be horrified. Rest in peace Nicholas. I hate drugs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Man pleads guilty in FAU student slaying, to testify against alleged accomplices - July 2016

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-fau-student-murder-plea-hearing-20160722-story.html

Rodrick Demetrius Woods, 23, took responsibility for his role in the Dec. 29 killing of Nicholas Acosta, 19, and will be sentenced sometime after three co-defendants stand trial.

Circuit Judge Krista Marx accepted Woods' guilty pleas for the charges of second-degree murder, burglary, and robbery, all with a firearm. Acosta's father was in court for the hearing, but declined to speak with reporters afterward.

Woods, who authorities say was not the shooter, faces a sentence of about 25 years to life in prison. A first–degree murder charge was dropped under the plea deal, negotiated by Woods' attorney, Scott Pribble, and prosecutor Reid Scott.

The three facing trial, possibly next year, are: Donovan Malik Henry, 19, of Miramar, who was a freshman soccer player studying engineering at FAU; and cousins Alexander Gillis and Adonis Gillis, both 23, from Miami Gardens.

While each is charged with first-degree murder, burglary and robbery, all with a firearm, police have said Alexander Gillis was the shooter.

A fifth, unidentified suspect apparently remains at large.

Second Suspect Arrested in FAU Shooting Death - January 12, 2016 (Rodrick Woods arrested)

Report: Third arrest made in fatal shooting of FAU student Nicholas Acosta - February 10, 2016 (Alexander Eddie Gillis arrested)

Fourth person arrested in slaying of FAU student Nicholas Acosta - February 24, 2016 (Adonis Gillis arrested)

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Man, 19, convicted of second-degree murder in FAU student killing

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/boca-raton/fl-fau-student-murder-trial-monday-20161212-story.html

Twelve of Donovan Malik Henry's family members held hands in the back of a courtroom Monday as they heard a jury convict the 19-year-old Miramar man of second-degree murder.

The jury found Henry, a freshman last year at Florida Atlantic University, guilty in the off-campus robbery and killing of his classmate, 19-year-old Nicholas Acosta.

Before Henry's family could hear more of the jury's decision, one relative stormed out of the courtroom, shouting that the jurors "weren't even listening!"

Acosta's family also was present for the verdict, sitting in the front of the courtroom. "All I can say is today, nobody won," Acosta's father, Maximino Acosta, said outside the courtroom. "But at least we got justice."

In addition, the jury convicted Henry of robbery and burglary with a firearm. He will learn his sentence on Jan. 19.

Henry was the first defendant to go to trial in the robbery and killing. Woods pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July, and Alexander and Adonis Gillis still are awaiting trial. A fifth suspect has yet to be identified.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Miramar man sentenced to 35 years in FAU student killing

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-fau-student-killing-sentencing-20170119-story.html

Maximino Acosta testified he'll never see his murdered son again.

"With the court's permission, I would like to ask Nicholas Acosta to please stand up," Acosta said Thursday. "Nick, can you please stand up?"

He glanced around the full courtroom. Everyone was seated silently. "No, he cannot stand up," he said, breaking down into tears as he left the lectern.

The hearing was held for Donovan Malik Henry, 20, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in the killing of his Florida Atlantic University classmate, 19-year-old Nicholas Acosta.

Henry was the first defendant to go to trial in the robbery and killing. Rodrick Woods pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July and is awaiting his sentence in jail. Alexander and Adonis Gillis' trials are set for later this year, prosecutor Reid Scott said.

A fifth suspect has yet to be identified.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Man accused in 2015 FAU student slaying takes plea deal

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/breaking-man-accused-2015-fau-student-slaying-takes-plea-deal/TlIwY6dQa2GE0XcP4NLKAM/

Adonis Gillis pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree murder. He will face sentencing on Aug. 25 before Circuit Court Judge Krista Marx.

Alexander Gillis pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, armed burglary and armed robbery. The case is scheduled for a plea hearing on Friday.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Guilty plea expected from accused shooter in FAU student slaying

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-fau-student-murder-case-update-20170914-story.html

The planned robbery quickly turned deadly — Acosta was killed 12 days before his 20th birthday. Now, the off-campus murder case is nearing a resolution in criminal court.

Alexander Gillis, a Miami Gardens man whom police say was the shooter, is scheduled to plead guilty on Wednesday, rather than stand trial.

As part of a plea deal reached in July 2016, Rodrick Woods testified against Donovan Henry. Woods, who said Henry was complicit with the plan to trick the victim, is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 20.

Adonis Gillis, who pleaded guilty in May and agreed to testify if his cousin goes to trial, is next expected in court Sept. 22.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Shooter gets 48 years in prison for murder of FAU student selling pot

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/shooter-gets-years-prison-for-murder-fau-student-selling-pot/z73N2qzBaq7xpEBSSDfwvN/

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath paused to consider it all Wednesday, moments before he sentenced Gillis to 48 years in prison for shooting Acosta to death on Dec. 29, 2015, when Gillis and four others robbed Acosta, a Florida Atlantic University student, of a half-pound of marijuana at an apartment near the school’s Boca Raton campus.

Gillis sat silently and listened as Maximino Acosta and his daughter, Nicholas’ older sister, Alisa Delaney, made tearful pleas to the judge and asked for a life sentence for Gilles. When it came time for him to speak, he said he didn’t have the heart to plead for anything on his own behalf.

“I can’t say give me back to my family because I took someone else’s family member from them,” Gillis told the judge. “I don’t understand my own actions to be honest with you.”

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

25-year-old sentenced in FAU student off-campus slaying

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-fau-student-murder-case-sentencings-20171212-story.html

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath sentenced Rodrick Demetrius Woods to 19 years after following a guilty plea.

“It hurts to relive this all over again,” Maximino Acosta, the victim’s father, said. “They should live their life in jail, knowing they took a life.”

A fourth assailant, Adonis Gillis, pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in February. He faces a sentence of 20 years to life, on the second-degree murder, burglary, and robbery charges.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

FAU student’s family not satisfied as last of his murderers sentenced

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/fau-student-family-not-satisfied-last-his-murderers-sentenced/8UL6ZfqvfZm99y7j7Fs4iJ/

For the fourth — and what he hopes will be the final — time, Maximino Acosta sat in a Palm Beach County courtroom on Thursday, listening as one of his son’s killers tried to explain why a bag of pot was worth a life.

While 25-year-old Adonis Gillis and his mother apologized to Acosta, his wife and daughters for the December 2015 shooting of 19-year-old Nicholas Acosta at the Florida Atlantic University student’s off-campus apartment, the grieving father said he was unmoved.

Instead, noting that Gillis eventually confessed to his role in the shooting and agreed to testify against the others who burst into Acosta’s apartment with guns drawn, Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath sentenced Gillis to 21½ years of imprisonment. Gillis will get credit for the roughly two years he has spent in the Palm Beach County Jail.