A Hillsborough County jury this week found Taron Criner guilty of killing a 73-year-old man who was discovered unconscious in the parking lot of a Tampa 7-Eleven. Prosecutors said surveillance video captured the brutal attack, and the victim later died at a nearby hospital. The verdict caps an investigation that began after the early-morning assault on June 24, 2022.
According to WFLA, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office announced that jurors convicted Criner of first-degree murder, a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence. Prosecutors told the court their case leaned heavily on surveillance footage and witness testimony tying Criner to the killing.
Scene and arrest
The Tampa Police Department said officers were called to the 7-Eleven at 4943 E. Busch Blvd around 1:20 a.m. on June 24, 2022. They found the 73-year-old victim unresponsive in the parking lot. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Investigators later spotted a person walking near the store whose clothing matched what appeared in the surveillance images and who showed apparent blood spatter, according to police. Officers identified that person as Criner and took him into custody.
Video evidence
Detectives reviewed store surveillance that captured the assault and used those images, along with witness interviews, to zero in on a suspect. FOX 13 News reported that investigators positively identified Criner from the footage and arrested him later that morning. That same video became a key piece of evidence when the case finally went before a jury.
Case timeline
The homicide and arrest unfolded in 2022, and the case wound its way through the courts before reaching a jury this summer. Earlier coverage in the Tampa Bay Times detailed the initial investigation and the search for witnesses in the hours after the attack.
What’s next
The Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office told WFLA it will seek the mandatory life sentence for Criner. Court officials will set a sentencing date, and a judge will then impose the formal penalty under Florida law.
