Demetrius Carey

Case details

Demetrius Carey was a 14-year-old student at Westview Middle School near Opa-locka when authorities arrested him for the murder of Elena Carrasco.

Elena Carrasco was 56 years old.

Timeline

• December 18, 2005 — Demetrius Carey followed Elena Carrasco to her residence in the 5500 block of Washington Street; Carrasco was robbed and shot in front of her apartment.
• December 30, 2005 — Demetrius Carey was arrested for the murder of Elena Carrasco.
• May 28, 2008 — A Broward County jury found Demetrius Carey guilty of second degree murder and robbery.
• June 30, 2008 — A Florida judge sentenced Demetrius Carey to life in prison.
• July 1, 2008 — Reported that the judge departed upward from sentencing guidelines and imposed a life sentence.

The offence

Demetrius Carey followed Elena Carrasco to her residence in the 5500 block of Washington Street. Carrasco was robbed and shot in front of her apartment.

Police believed that surveillance video showed a young man on a bicycle pull up to the apartment building, enter, and that witnesses later saw the young male pedal away from the same building a few moments later.

Police contended that Carey attempted to rob Carrasco and, when she fought back, he shot her once in the stomach. After shooting her, he took several small items from her rooms and left.

Investigation

Surveillance video footage and testimony from several sources led detectives to Carey.

Items stolen during the robbery/murder that belonged to Carrasco were subsequently found where Carey was residing.

Arrest and pre-trial matters

Authorities said Carey was 14 years old when he robbed and fatally shot Carrasco in front of her Hollywood home on December 18, 2005.

Court records showed that Carey had been arrested in January for bringing a gun to school, but there was no notice of how that case was resolved.

Trial

Carey faced trial connected to the death of Elena Carrasco.

A Broward County jury found the defendant, Demetrius Carey, guilty of second degree murder and robbery.

During jury selection and proceedings, Carey sat shackled and handcuffed, holding a Bible in court.

The trial involved a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Elena Carrasco, but the jury reduced his criminal liability from first-degree murder to second-degree murder without a deadly weapon, apparently believing a defense that someone else shot and killed Carrasco.

Johnny McCray Jr., Carey's attorney, commented:

"It doesn't seem like 2-½ years," said Carrasco's stepson, Adolfo Carrasco Jr. "We have not seen this teenager," he said. "The face-to-face will come Tuesday when the trial, hopefully, will start." ''This is just as surprising and disappointing as the jury's verdict,'' Johnny McCray Jr., Carey's attorney, told the Herald. "What this says to me is the judge didn't agree with the jury."

Sentencing

On June 30, 2008, Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy III sentenced Demetrius Carey to life in prison.

Prior to passing sentence, John Murphy III listened to an hour of pleas for mercy from the family of Demetrius Carey.

It was reported that the judge departed upward from sentencing guidelines and imposed a life sentence.

Prosecutors contended that Carrasco was shot to death on her front steps as she was returning from a grocery store and that Carey was the trigger man.

Johnny McCray Jr. argued that although Carey may have known who committed the murder, Carey did not pull the trigger.

It was stated that Carey could have received the minimum of 22 years in prison from the judge.

Two of Carrasco's family members asked the judge to put Carey in prison permanently.

People

• Demetrius Carey — defendant; 14 years old at the time of the December 18, 2005 killing.
• Elena Carrasco — victim; 56 years old.
• Adolfo Carrasco Jr. — Carrasco's stepson.
• John Murphy III — Broward Circuit Judge.
• Johnny McCray Jr. — Carey's attorney.

Other details

• Prosecutors intended to try Carey as an adult for the murder and armed robbery of Carrasco.
• It was reported that Carey was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Carrasco’s death.
• The sentence followed the jury verdict finding second degree murder and robbery.