A Duval County jury has found a Jessica Rennard guilty of Accessory After the Fact and Tampering with Evidence in the murder of her ex-boyfriend. State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced the verdict, and the defendant now faces up to 15 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Tatiana Salvador will determine her sentence at a later date.
The incident occurred on December 31, 2020, at an apartment on St. Johns Bluff Road. The defendant and her then-boyfriend, Jerome Whitesides, were at the apartment along with her ex-boyfriend. A verbal altercation broke out between Whitesides and the victim, leading to Whitesides shooting the victim in the face.
Investigators determined that the defendant was outside the apartment with Whitesides when the shooting occurred and later helped him hide the gun in the bushes. She also assisted in deleting text messages from their phones. When questioned by police, she denied any knowledge of the crime.
Whitesides previously pleaded guilty on September 25, 2024, to Second-Degree Murder, Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent, and Possession of More than 20 Grams of Cannabis. A jury also found him guilty of Tampering with Evidence.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Leah Owens and Sheila Loizos.
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