On Friday (Sept 24), a Brevard County Jury convicted Lawrence JONES (52), of Attempted First-Degree Premeditated Murder (F1) in the brutal knife attack on his former girlfriend Rosheema Rucker (42) in Palm Bay. After a four (4) day trial with evidence presented by Assistant State Attorneys Mark Campbell and Ann Perrin, the jury deliberated for just over 90 minutes before returning with the guilty verdict.

Circuit Court Judge Lisa Davidson presided over the trial and remanded JONES into custody at the Brevard County Jail until sentencing set for November 24, 2021, at 1:15 pm. JONES faces a maximum sentence of thirty (30) years in state prison.

On September 2, 2017, at 11:40 pm, Palm Bay Police responded to the Bottlebrush Apartments where a 9-11 caller said a male was attacking a female in the parking lot. Upon arrival the male had fled, however officers found Rucker dragged from the parking lot, to an area behind a building, critically injured. Rucker had sustained stab wounds to her arms, hands, face, neck, shoulder, and stomach, requiring multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation, but miraculously survived. Officers described her injuries as horrific and some of the worst they had ever seen.

Palm Bay Police reported that JONES had a prior failed relationship with Rucker and had traveled from south Florida to meet her in the parking lot of her job. Rucker agreed to give JONES a ride, but fearing for her safety, remained on the phone with a co-worker. Upon reaching the Bottlebrush apartments, JONES became angry, and the co-worker heard Rucker screaming for help before the call went dead.

JONES had sustained wounds to his hands during the attack and fled the scene with Rucker's cell phone. The next day he sought medical treatment and told investigators Rucker had attacked him. They didn’t believe him, and he was arrested September 3, 2017.

In a statement after the verdict ASA Mark Campbell said “I’ll never forget how Rosheema [Rucker] described JONES during the attack. She said it was like looking into the eyes of the devil himself.” He added “That’s a nightmare she now lives with every day. It’s time for JONES to answer for that, and thanks to the hard work of the jury, he will.”