For a brief moment this spring, Sheila Nuñez believed she had finally cracked open a path to justice in her daughter’s unsolved killing. A Miami‑Dade jury had just awarded her $1 million. Days later, a judge tossed the verdict and dismissed the case.
Nuñez’s daughter, Melissa Gonzalez, 22, was killed by a stray bullet on Jan. 3, 2020, while driving south on I‑95 near Northwest 79th Street. The shooting has never been solved, and with the civil verdict now set aside, Nuñez is asking the court to reinstate the jury’s decision or order a new trial as she keeps pushing for answers.
In March, a Miami‑Dade jury found that Ted Vernon Specialty Autos and an unknown shooter were negligent, assigning Vernon 20% of the blame and an unnamed shooter 80%, and returning a $1,000,000 verdict, according to the Miami Herald. That breakdown would have left Vernon on the hook for roughly $200,000, the paper reported. Jurors deliberated for about two to three hours, and the family said they hoped the civil ruling might shake loose new leads and nudge the stalled criminal case forward.
Circuit Court Judge Daryl E. Trawick saw it differently. He granted Vernon’s post‑verdict motion, writing that "there were no views of the evidence that could support a verdict in Nuñez’s favor" and that "no reasonable juror could find" the essential elements of negligence or negligent infliction of emotional distress, the Herald reported. Trawick’s order noted that the only evidence presented at trial was Nuñez’s own testimony and a single exhibit from the Miami‑Dade property appraiser’s website. Vernon’s attorney told the paper he believed jurors allowed sympathy to outweigh the law.
Gonzalez’s killing rattled Miami in early 2020. She was on her way to visit a sick family member when a single stray bullet pierced her car on I‑95, striking her and killing her at the scene on Jan. 3, 2020, as reported by CBS Miami. That initial coverage captured the family’s early pleas and their efforts to help investigators, and noted that Gonzalez had been planning to take the LSAT just days later. The Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office still asks the public for tips, and the homicide remains open.
Nuñez later sued the owner of the property the family believes was the origin of the gunfire, alleging repeated assaults, burglaries, and drug dealing on the lot, along with a failure to maintain usable surveillance cameras that could have aided detectives. The civil lawsuit and the family’s public appeals, including a 2025 sheriff’s office event covered by local media, kept the case in the headlines. Even with the brief civil victory, investigators say the criminal probe has yet to yield an arrest.
What the Judge’s Ruling Means
Under Florida law, a trial judge can set aside a jury verdict if the evidence is legally insufficient, but there is a tight deadline to challenge that decision. As outlined by The Florida Bar, motions to set aside a verdict or for judgment notwithstanding the verdict generally must be filed in writing within 15 days and can be combined with a motion for a new trial.
Nuñez’s attorney has already asked the court to reinstate the $1 million award or grant a new trial. If that bid fails, the family could take the fight to an appeals court, extending an already long legal battle sparked by a single bullet on a Miami highway.
Anyone with information on Gonzalez’s killing can contact Miami‑Dade Crime Stoppers at 305‑471‑TIPS (8477), text "CrimeStoppers305" to 738477, or submit an anonymous tip at CrimeStoppers305.com. The Crime Stoppers page for Gonzalez’s case lists an active reward for tips that lead to an arrest.
