A judge sentenced a Central Florida man to death for the murder of his close friend.
At the conclusion of a hearing this month, the Honorable Elizabeth Blackburn sentenced defendant Julio Rivera to death for his murder conviction.
This past January, a Volusia County jury of four men and eight women found the defendant guilty as charged of First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon.
The same jurors then voted 8-4 to recommend death for Rivera for the brutal murder of his childhood friend.
On December 8, 2019, Rivera’s long-time friend Roberto Ovalle visited him at the DeBary storage unit that Ovalle rented and let the defendant stay in. After a period of time, Rivera, who felt disrespected by his friend, pulled out a gun and shot Ovalle in the back of the head.
The victim died from his injuries at the scene.
Ovalle’s girlfriend witnessed the murder and reported it to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. The defendant left the area but was later arrested when he returned to the scene while detectives were still there investigating.
Rivera later admitted in a recorded jail call that he was the shooter.
Rivera was convicted of robbery and murder in New York but served less than 25 years in prison. Upon his release, he moved to Florida and executed his childhood friend within six months of his arrival,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said about the case. “Today, he was sentenced to death for the execution of his long-time friend. Florida has the death penalty for a reason – to ensure that sociopaths like Rivera cannot be released to murder again and again
The case was investigated by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones and Chief of Homicide Jason Lewis successfully prosecuted the case for the state.
