Leesburg resident Kenneth Dalon Bailey, at the age of 22, has been handed a 45-year prison sentence following his guilty plea for the second-degree murder of 87-year-old Clarence Harold Ervin in 2024. Judge Cary Rada dispensed this sentence and put Bailey in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections for what Walter Forgie, the Chief Assistant State Attorney, described as a "tragic and senseless loss of an innocent life." The details of the case, as reported by WFTV, specifically underline the involvement of Bailey in the shooting at a Leesburg gas station on West Main Street.
On that fateful September day, police discovered Ervin suffering from gunshot wounds after being alerted to the incident. Ervin was promptly taken to receive medical attention. Unfortunately, he would not survive. Witnesses at the scene provided authorities with directions the suspects fled and offered detailed descriptions of each individual. As observed in the video surveillance provided by the store clerk, three suspects approached Ervin's vehicle before the altercation ensued. Bailey, standing by the driver's side, subsequently engaged with Ervin and fired the fatal shots. The footage laid bare the moments leading to Bailey's eventual confession and conviction.
Following a public bulletin to assist in identifying the suspects, information emerged regarding one of Bailey's accomplices, Craig Stevenson Jr., a pivotal lead that would connect Bailey to the crime. The investigation, spearheaded by Assistant State Attorneys Ken Nunnelley and Shannon Schlarf, was detailed by The Leesburg News, which reported both Bailey and Stevenson's arrests for their roles in the murder. However, the inquiry into the third suspect's involvement remains active.
