LATAVIOUS S. JOHNSON shot and killed a woman who was waiting in a minivan outside a South Melbourne restaurant and tax preparation office in October 2020. Then Johnson barged inside the business, shot her husband twice as he played a video arcade machine, wrestled briefly with the wounded man, and was shot in the face himself by an armed employee before he fled.
Confronted by DNA and security-video evidence and a possible life sentence, Johnson, 45, agreed Feb. 9 to plead no contest to charges of second-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder for the shooting death of Jamie Wright and the wounding of Theron Wright. In exchange, Johnson was sentenced to 45 years in state prison instead of life.
The plea agreement with the State Attorney’s Office came more than five years after the shootings at Lizzy’s and 321 Tax and just minutes before Johnson was to go on trial in Viera for first-degree murder.
Prosecutor Mike Doyle required Johnson to also plead no-contest to two felony counts of shooting into a vehicle or a building as part of the agreement. Johnson’s convictions on those firearm-related charges require him to serve a minimum of 25 years in prison before he can qualify for any time off for good behavior.
“Mr. Johnson’s going to prison, and he probably won’t make it out given his age,” Doyle said.
Doyle had prepared evidence including security video from inside 321 Tax that showed Johnson and Theron Wright wrestling for control of a revolver while Wright bleeds from two gunshot wounds. The video also shows a company employee emerging from a security office and shooting Johnson through the side of his face and neck, leaving both men bleeding as they give up the struggle and flee the building.
Melbourne Police later discovered one of Johnson’s shoes at a relative’s house nearby. The shoe had both Johnson and Wright’s blood on it, as confirmed by DNA analysis. Meanwhile, security video from multiple businesses helped detectives retrace Johnson’s movements from the shooting location to Holmes Regional Medical Center’s emergency room where he sought treatment.
Police believe Johnson shot the couple over a bad debt. Theron Wright survived his wounds but passed away from other causes before the case was resolved. Meanwhile, Johnson remained in the Brevard County Jail without bond while his trial was delayed several times by the COVID pandemic and changes in his defense counsel.