Following a fatal physical altercation on June 15, 2021 that took the life of 84-year-old Theresa Evelyn Bogue, 42-year-old John Anthony Hancock pleaded guilty in the Central Florida manslaughter case.
In the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Stephen E. Toner, Hancock recently entered a plea of guilty of Manslaughter. Hancock was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by 5 years of probation.
“The evidence in this case was irrefutable and left no doubt about the defendant’s responsibility for this tragic loss of life,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie. “By pleading guilty, the defendant has accepted responsibility for his actions and we hope this brings some measure of closure to the victim’s family.”
On June 15, 2021, deputies from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a business off Commercial Way in Spring Hill in reference to a battery that had just occurred.
When officials arrived, they made contact with Theresa, the victim, who informed them a male had just struck her with his fist, causing her to fall backward and hit her head. The victim’s account was corroborated by a witness. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where it was determined she had a brain bleed.
During their investigation, officials were able to identify the male as Hancock, from surveillance footage and a motel transaction. It was learned that Hancock had traveled back home, to his state of Virginia. Authorities there were contacted and informed of the incident.
After responding to Hancock’s home and questioning him, he initially denied being in the state, but later admitted he was involved in the altercation.
HCSO detectives drafted an arrest warrant and Hancock was subsequently extradited back to Florida. On April 2, 2022, the victim passed away and medical examiners determined her cause of death to be complications of blunt trauma inflicted during the June attack.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Robert Lewis and Kasey Whitson.
