A Central Florida man was recently sentenced in drug-related death of an 18-year-old who went missing after a birthday party.
This month, the Honorable Judge Daniel B. Merritt sentenced 31-year-old Isaac Troy Lemons to 14.8 Years in the Florida Department of Corrections after jurors found Lemons guilty of Manslaughter and Sale of a Controlled Substance back in August.
“Two lives have irrefutably been altered due to illicit narcotics. This is just a stark reminder of the devastating toll drugs take on our community,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “One family is now left to grieve the loss of a young life taken too soon, while the other must face the lifelong consequences of actions that cannot be undone. Both families, forever changed, highlight the importance of accountability and the irreversible impacts of our choices.”
Lemons’ case comes as a result of his 2015 arrest linked to the death of 18-year-old Dylan Joseph Thornton who went missing after his friends hosted an 18th birthday party for him. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was contacted and over the next couple of days, an extensive search took place. Tragically, on the morning of September 15, 2015, the significantly decomposed body of Dylan was found along some dunes south of the Duke Energy transfer station.
The Medical Examiner who performed the autopsy on Dylan ruled his cause of death as Alpha-PVP toxicity, the substance referred to as “Flakka,” a dangerous drug that is similar to the street drug commonly known as bath salts. HCSO’s missing persons case then turned into a suspicious death investigation.
Detective Dustin Adkins was assigned the case and learned that a DJ, later identified as Lemons had sold a drug containing amphetamines at a party, misrepresenting “Flakka” as “Molly.” This substance was distributed to several people, including Dylan. Later, while under the influence, Dylan and a friend believed they were being followed and eventually parted ways before his demise.
The case went to trial in the summer of 2021 but ended in a hung jury. A retrial began on August 19, 2024, with a verdict returned.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Robert Lewis and Melissa Underwood.
