PANAMA CITY — A Gainesville man convicted of killing another man over a stolen bicycle has been sentenced to spend more than 50 years of his life in prison, according to court documents.
Stephen Trusty, 33, was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for the murder of 34-year-old Leonard Price, which will be followed by 26 years in prison for threatening witnesses of the brutal slaying.
Trusty was charged with murder after police found Price shot to death on a grass lawn the early morning of May 28 between Roosevelt and Carver drives of Panama City. He was later found guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with witnesses.
Prosecutors presented video of Price leaving the area of Trusty’s room 118 at the USA Inn, 710 East 15th St., with the bicycle at about midnight. Only about 40 minutes later, police were alerted to the scene of a shooting where they would find Price dead from five gunshot wounds — two in the back.
Trusty left his clothes and medication in the room at the USA Inn and headed toward Tampa as he became the main suspect in the murder investigation. But, at trial, he denied confronting Price over a “neighborhood bike” and killing him.
“I have no reason to kill nobody,” Trusty told jurors at the time.
However, two eyewitnesses also testified to seeing Trusty fire the fatal shots after a brief skirmish over the bicycle. Both Tanya Baker and Sawson Owens said they saw Trusty and Price engaged in a brief confrontation before Trusty began pistol-whipping Price, causing the firearm to accidentally discharge.
Trusty then stood over Price and emptied a .38-caliber revolver into him. They both said after the shooting, Trusty simply sat on the bicycle and rode off. Each of the men had a different vantage point and corroborated the others’ account.
The bike was later found at the mother of Trusty’s home as he fled the county. Once he was apprehended, Trusty threatened Owens and his family members if he testified in the case.
Trusty still faces charges of felon in possession of a firearm from the incident. State records show Trusty has a criminal record dating back to his sentence in January 1997 for battery on a detention facility staff member. Trusty also did time for robbery and cocaine-related crimes. He was released from prison in August 2010. He could face more prison time if convicted of the firearm possession charge.