Joshua Rosa

Case information

Joshua Rosa (born January 24, 1986) was a convicted murderer in the State of Florida.

Background

Rosa was the younger of two children. His older brother was Daniel Rosa, Jr., who was five years his senior. His parents were Raquel and Daniel Rosa, Sr. The Rosa family were of Puerto Rican descent, and Rosa was born in Brooklyn, New York. The Rosa family moved to Florida in the early 1990s so that Rosa and his older brother could have an easier life. The Rosa family were members of the Pentecostal Church and had a strict, religious upbringing. Rosa graduated from Alonso High School in Tampa, Florida, class of 2004. While a high school student, Rosa was a cadet on the school's drill team and a member of the Army ROTC program. He was also a foil instructor at a local Tampa fencing academy. After graduating from high school, Rosa attended Hillsborough Community College, where he studied to become a psychologist. At the age of 18, Rosa became a Youth Minister at the Zion Pentecostal Church.

The offence

On December 8, 2005, the body of 13-year-old Stephen Tomlinson was discovered in a secluded section of Logan Gate Park, a couple of blocks from where Rosa lived in Tampa.

Rosa was found guilty on July 21, 2008, of murder in the first degree. The jury found that the killing was committed during the commission of, or in the attempt to commit aggravated child abuse.

Investigation

On the night of December 8, 2005, witnesses said they saw Rosa jogging in Logan Gate Park with a flashlight and wearing white gloves. Rosa was seen running from the park, wearing black, yelling, "Call the cops! I need help!" While Rosa called 911, a neighbor and a number of kids ran into the park and found Tomlinson's body with a bicycle nearby. The neighbors saw Tomlinson bleeding from the mouth, nose, ears and eyes. Tomlinson's pants were also halfway down. One neighbor tried giving Tomlinson cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but Tomlinson died in the neighbor's arms.

Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded immediately. When questioned by the deputies, Rosa stated that he was in the park jogging and then came across Tomlinson's body. Rosa could not provide valid reasons for why he was wearing white gloves or why he was carrying a flashlight. Blood stains were discovered on both the gloves and on Rosa's jogging pants. Deputies seized a nail clipper that Rosa voluntarily pulled out of his pocket and surrendered to the deputies. When questioned about the nail clippers, Rosa could not provide a reason for why he had the nail clippers in his pocket.

Rosa was detained by detectives, questioned further, and then was let go on the same night. Neighbors were outraged because they believed Rosa was the perpetrator. Even though Rosa was let go by detectives, he was still considered a person of interest and the prime suspect. Rosa was kept under constant surveillance, and a search and seizure warrant was obtained on Rosa's home, where his computer, clothes and other evidence were seized. The cause of death was ruled manual strangulation.

Arrest

On January 6, 2006, at approximately 6:00 PM, Joshua Rosa was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at his place of employment at Sports Authority, where he was employed as a part-time sales representative. Rosa was taken into custody without incident.

Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee released a press conference stating that they were waiting on DNA evidence on the nail clippers and the white gloves taken from Rosa at the scene. DNA evidence obtained came from Stephen Tomlinson. Rosa's home keys were also found under the body of Tomlinson at the scene.

Rosa was held without bail and booked on First Degree Murder charges. At his arraignment, Rosa pleaded not guilty and requested time to obtain the funds necessary to hire a private attorney.

Trial

The murder trial began on July 11, 2008.

At trial, the State prosecutors portrayed Rosa as the sole murderer who killed Tomlinson. Prosecutors theorized that after a scuffle with his victim and subsequent strangulation, Rosa tried to hide the evidence by using a nail clipper to clip off Tomlinson's fingernails. The prosecutor presented the same jogging pants Rosa was wearing on the night of the murder and showed the jury blood stains belonging to Tomlinson within the inner sleeve of the pants. Using the same pair of white gloves taken from Rosa, prosecutors showed the jury that Rosa used the gloves to either suffocate or to keep Tomlinson quiet by placing the gloves in Tomlinson's mouth. The blood pattern stains on the gloves showed the position the gloves had been placed on Tomlinson's mouth.

Rosa was represented at trial by attorney Brian E. Gonzalez. Gonzalez showed that Rosa was trying to help revive Tomlinson and that he was in the park doing his nightly jog since Rosa was known to be in great shape. Gonzalez tried persuading the jury that there was more than one perpetrator who committed this crime and that Rosa was falsely being accused of the murder. Rosa did not testify on his behalf.

At approximately 11:15 AM on July 21, 2008, Joshua Rosa was found guilty of murder in the first degree.

Sentencing

Rosa was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The prosecutors office stated that the death penalty was not sought in this case since the evidence did not satisfy the requirements for a death penalty case.

Rosa spoke for the first time after the verdict, still claiming his innocence. He stated that his family and his friends know who he really is. He continued to state that he hopes someday the ones who really committed the crime are caught and he wishes that God have mercy upon their souls.

Rosa was sentenced to life in prison on August 5, 2008, and he was currently housed in the Mayo Correctional Institution of the Florida Department of Corrections. At 22 years old, Rosa was one of the youngest people in Florida history to be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Outcome

The prosecutors stated that the death penalty was not sought in this case. An appeal in the verdict was likely to occur in the future.

Other details

Rosa was arrested without incident on January 6, 2006, and he was detained by detectives and later released on the same night after questioning following the December 8, 2005 discovery of Stephen Tomlinson's body.