On Thursday, November 7, 2024, Judge Daniel B. Merritt sentenced 31-year-old Isaac Troy Lemons to 14.8 years in the Florida Department of Corrections for Manslaughter and Sale of a Controlled Substance. The sentencing follows a guilty verdict reached in August for Lemons’ involvement in the 2015 death of 18-year-old Dylan Joseph Thornton.
The case originated when Thornton, who had been celebrating his 18th birthday with friends, went missing in September 2015. His body was discovered days later in a dune area near the Duke Energy transfer station, with an autopsy determining his cause of death as Alpha-PVP toxicity, a potent substance known as “Flakka.”
Detectives linked Lemons to the incident, discovering that he had sold what he claimed was “Molly” at the party. This drug, however, contained amphetamines and “Flakka,” a substance resembling bath salts. Under the influence, Thornton and a friend, feeling paranoid, separated, and Thornton was later found deceased.
Lemons’ first trial in 2021 resulted in a hung jury, but a retrial began in August 2024, leading to his conviction. Assistant State Attorneys Robert Lewis and Melissa Underwood successfully prosecuted the case, crediting the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office for their investigative work.
State Attorney Bill Gladson remarked on the case, underscoring the lasting toll of drugs on the community and its impact on the lives of both families involved.
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