Mainstreet Daily News
An Alachua County jury found two people guilty of murder in what prosecutors say was a love triangle gone bad.
The jury returned the verdict against Doug Heath and Martesha Johnson on Monday. Assistant State Attorney Angela Rogers and Assistant State Attorney Ryan Nagel led the prosecution team, according to a press release by the State Attorney’s Office.
The two will face sentencing in December.
The verdict stems from an incident in May 2021, when the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) responded to a rural area in northeast Alachua County to investigate a report of a person shot.
An ACSO detective determined that Heath and Johnson killed a bystander, Tyerune G. Blocker, while attempting to kill Derrick A. Williams.
According to the ACSO, Heath, Johnson and Jasmine Chantell Webb were involved in a love triangle.
“Jasmine Webb had briefly engaged in a relationship with Derrick Williams that created a conflict that turned deadly,” the release said.
The jury found Heath guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Johnson was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and accessory after the fact.
Judge William E. Davis presided over the judicial proceeding, which lasted four days. The jury deliberated for just under five hours.
A separate case involving Webb is still pending prosecution, according to the State Attorney’s Office.