In a decisive move, a jury has recommended the death penalty for Joseph Ables, the man convicted of the first-degree murder of Highlands County Deputy William Gentry, as reported by FOX 13 News. The decision came swiftly, less than an hour of deliberations, on the fatal shooting that occurred in May of 2018 during a neighborhood dispute over a cat that had been killed.
Details of the sentencing recommendation were shared by Highlands News-Sun, revealing the jury aligned unanimously on the recommendation, in a system where a unanimous vote is not required for sentencing, with a vote of 8-4 being sufficient, however, in this case, the evidence presented by the State's attorneys Bonde Johnson and John Kromholz was compelling, touching on six aggravating factors directly associated with the case.
During the sentencing phase, a tearful gallery listened to victim impact statements from Gentry's family and colleagues, "William Gentry was the first deputy sheriff that I had the honor of swearing in," Sheriff Paul Blackman said, and "During his short time as a returning deputy sheriff, William was unbelievable. It seemed like his abilities, his diligence, his compassion, were even more so than they were," demonstrating his unwavering commitment to service, as Highlands News-Sun further detailed.
Ables, who was also charged with animal cruelty for the death of the cat, had claimed to have blacked out during the incident and did not recall the exact events, as per statements detailed by FOX 13 News. In a remark gathered by WFLA, Kevin Gentry, brother of the deceased deputy, expressed his view that the defendant showed a stark lack of remorse, stating, "That guy shows no remorse. He’s not remorseful for what he’s done. He’s not remorseful that he killed a cat. He’s not remorseful that he killed a deputy. There’s no remorse."
The judge is expected to deliver the final sentence following future court hearings, which include a Spencer hearing scheduled for January 10, as detailed by Highlands News-Sun. This hearing will allow for the presentation of any mitigating evidence or information before the final sentencing is imposed.
