A St. Johns County man shot a victim outside of a St. Augustine bar seven times.
During a recent hearing, defendant Vance Wilkins was sentenced to life in prison for murder.
In the early morning hours of February 2, 2023, Wilkins met the victim outside of a St. Augustine bar. Video surveillance shows they had a short conversation before the defendant took off in his truck. The victim laid motionless on the ground.
The victim was shot seven times and died from his injuries at the scene. Wilkins was later found and arrested.
During the investigation, a witness told detectives that they received a text from the defendant about 15 minutes before the shooting, which stated: “About to kill someone.” Another text Wilkins sent mentioned the victim’s first name.
“The defendant will never walk the streets of St. Augustine again, and the city is a safer and better place now that he is gone,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said about the case.
The case was investigated by the St. Augustine Police Department. Assistant State Attorney Mark Johnson successfully prosecuted the case for the state. The Honorable Lee Smith presided over the case and pronounced sentence. He pled in September to Second-Degree Murder (Firearm).
