FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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June 19, 2008 Panama City man gets 20 years for 2d degree murder State Attorney Steve Meadows announces the plea and sentence, in Bay County Circuit Court, on a charge of Second Degree Murder. Johnathan L. Bell, BM, DOB: 1-23-1989, Elm Avenue, Panama City, entered his plea to the August 11, 2007, shooting death of Andre D. Gibbs, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Bell and Gibbs, both 18 at the time, were involved in an altercation at KJ’s Lounge, 908 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., when Bell shot Gibbs in the parking lot. Bell was identified by numerous witnesses on the night of the killing and was arrested on August 13th by the Panama City Police Department. Bell had been arrested for drug offenses on August 5th but had posted bond. Thursday, Bell pleaded to those offenses, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Cannabis, and Resisting an Officer Without Violence, and was sentenced to five years in prison, concurrent to the murder sentence. |