Judge Blackett on Wednesday sentenced Joshua Gossett to 150 years in prison after a Shelby County jury convicted him in April in the 2022 shootings that killed Shunish Baggett and 80-year-old Lyft driver Richard Skelskey. The convictions covered two counts of first-degree murder along with related firearms charges and followed a trial that prosecutors say leaned heavily on surveillance footage, electronic forensics and Gossett’s own recorded statements. Family members from both sides gave emotional victim impact statements before the judge stacked the lengthy prison terms one after another.
Prosecutors leaned on surveillance and digital records
Prosecutors told jurors they entered 57 exhibits into evidence, called 15 witnesses and played roughly six hours of Gossett’s recorded statement to police over the course of the trial. They said forensic analysis of electronic data and surveillance video helped connect Gossett to both crime scenes, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
Sequence of events prosecutors say led to the killings
According to prosecutors, the violence unfolded on Oct. 30, 2022, when Gossett used the Lyft app to get a ride to the home of Shunish Baggett and then shot her there. They say he opened the app again to request another ride, and when 80-year-old driver Richard Skelskey accepted, Gossett shot him, stole his car and drove off, as reported by Action News 5.
Judge hears victim statements before sentence
Only after hearing from grieving relatives of both victims did Judge Blackett issue the 150-year sentence and order Gossett committed to the Tennessee Department of Correction. The punishment reflects the jury’s April verdict on every count, including the two first-degree murder charges and the related firearms offenses, the District Attorney’s Office said in its summary of the case.
Digital footprints and rideshare safety
The prosecution’s reliance on app records, surveillance cameras and other electronic forensics highlights how digital trails now play a central role in violent-crime investigations across the region. The grim details of this case have also revived local worries about rideshare safety while offering the victims’ families a measure of accountability, as noted by Action News 5.
What’s next
Gossett was formally sentenced on July 1 and remains in custody. His defense team can still file post-trial motions and pursue appeals, a process that could keep the case moving through the courts for months or even years. For now, prosecutors say the verdict and the 150-year term provide a measure of finality for the families who lost loved ones in this violent episode.
