Jury Begins Deliberations in Case of Four-Year-Old’s Death

TAMPA, Fla. — Jury deliberations started Tuesday morning in the trial of five men charged in the death of four-year-old Suni Bell. The jury’s decision will determine the fate of Jaylin Bedward, James Denson, Quandarious Hammond, Andrew Thompson, and Deron Sampson.

On Monday, the state and the defense presented their closing statements after about a week of testimony. During the proceedings, Sampson disrupted the courtroom, exclaiming, “Somebody shot at me. Somebody shot back.” He was subsequently removed from the courtroom by bailiffs.

Suni Bell and her family were returning home from a gathering in August 2021 when the incident occurred. The prosecution revealed that her uncle, Willy Brown, was driving the vehicle, and her mother, Mary Harrison, was in the passenger seat. They had pulled over to find directions when they were allegedly ambushed by the five men, who were spotted gathering outside a nearby Chevron gas station.

Surveillance footage reportedly shows the suspects following Suni’s family in multiple vehicles after they had masked their faces and armed themselves. While Suni’s mother and uncle survived the shooting, Suni succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

The defendants are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy. Prosecutors argue they acted as a group during the ambush, emphasizing that they do not need to prove which defendant pulled the trigger. However, defense attorneys contend that there is insufficient evidence linking the men to the fatal shot.

As jury deliberations continue into the afternoon, the jurors are tasked with deciding each defendant’s guilt separately.

Trial updates will follow as the jurors resume Wednesday morning.