JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Duval County jury has found 28-year-old Kenneth Vanes James Jr. guilty of First-Degree Murder and Tampering or Fabricating Physical Evidence, a capital felony, in the 2023 killing of Mikyh White, Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced. With the verdict, James faces a mandatory life sentence in Florida State Prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date by Judge Tatiana Salvador.
The conviction stems from a September 9, 2023 shooting in the 4200 block of Melrose Avenue, where officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of an injured person. Deputies found White lying in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds to the head. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Surveillance video played a key role in the case. Footage showed a white Ford Fusion stopping in front of a home. A gunshot is heard, and the driver exits the vehicle, walks to the passenger side, opens the door, and drags White from the car, leaving him bleeding and motionless in the street. Investigators noted the driver was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with “CK” on the front.
Detectives determined that earlier that night White had been at a recording studio with his best friend and James. Video evidence showed White entering the passenger seat of the Ford Fusion driven by James when they left the studio. Prosecutors presented additional evidence, including cellphone records, location data, and DNA, which tied James to the shooting and identified him as the gunman.
The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Lauren Anderson and Elizabeth Brown. Prosecutors said the verdict ensures accountability for a calculated killing and the deliberate attempt to conceal it by abandoning the victim in the roadway.
James will remain in custody pending formal sentencing.
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