LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Judge Cary Rada sentenced 22-year-old Kenneth Dalon Bailey to 45 years in the Florida Department of Corrections after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the 2024 murder of 87-year-old Clarence Harold Ervin.
“Despite his young age, this defendant made the choice that led to the tragic and senseless loss of an innocent life,” said Walter Forgie, Chief Assistant State Attorney.
On September 28, 2024, the victim, Clarence Harold Ervin, was shot at a Leesburg gas station located off West Main Street. Leesburg Police officers responded to the scene, where they located the victim with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was transported for medical treatment and would later succumb to his injuries.
Forgie continues, “This conviction and substantial sentence underscore the seriousness of his actions and provide justice for the victim’s family and friends.”
Witnesses on the scene informed officials of the directions that the suspects fled and were able to provide detailed descriptions of each. The store clerk was able to provide video surveillance footage of the incident, showing three suspects approaching the victim while the victim was sitting inside his vehicle at the gas pump. Two of the three suspects stood beside the passenger door of the car, while the third suspect, later identified as Bailey, stood by the opened driver’s door and appeared to exchange words with the victim before pulling out a firearm and shooting the victim.
Officials later received information identifying one of the suspects as Craig Stevenson Jr.
The witness indicated to authorities that Stevenson had a best friend named Kenney, who was later determined to be the defendant. Detectives developed additional information during the investigation to identify the third suspect.
Bailey and Stevenson were both arrested for their involvement in the crime. The investigation into the third suspect remains ongoing.
Stevenson has not yet gone to trial.
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