Staff Reports
A Cross City man was sentenced to 50 years for the 2021 murder of a teenage girl at Majestic Oaks Apartments.
According to a State Attorney’s Office release sent Tuesday, Judge James M. Colaw sentenced Jason Lee Lynady Sr., 38, of Cross City to 50 years in the Florida Department of Corrections for first-degree murder.
On April 23, 2021, Lynady shot and killed 13-year-old Maliyah Godwin. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for the unlawful killing of Godwin, possession of a firearm by a felon, tampering with physical evidence and tampering with a witness.
In a separate case, Eugene Patrick, 24, withdrew his plea deal to manslaughter in a 2021 altercation and his case will now move forward to trial.
On May 22, 2021, Gainesville Police officers responded to 900 E. University Ave. at the Swamp Car Wash and discovered Patrick and Bobby Hopkins Jr. were involved in an ongoing conflict. During the altercation, Patrick shot and killed Hopkins.
Patrick originally entered a plea of guilty to manslaughter but on Tuesday he requested a trial. Colaw accepted and, if convicted, Patrick could serve 25 years to life in prison.