Baby-Faced Teen Suspects to Be Tried as Adults in Horrific Murder of 14-Year-Old Florida Girl

Pace, Florida — In a shocking development that has rocked a quiet Panhandle community, two teenage boys described as "baby-faced" will face trial as adults for the premeditated murder of 14-year-old Danika Troy, whose charred body was discovered in a wooded area last month.

Gabriel Williams, 16, and Kimahri Blevins, 14, both from Pace, were indicted on Friday by a grand jury on charges of first-degree premeditated murder. The State Attorney’s Office announced that the pair will be prosecuted as adults, potentially facing life in prison or even the death penalty if convicted.

The gruesome crime unfolded on November 30, when Troy was allegedly lured to a walking path near her home. Authorities say the teens, who had been acquaintances of the victim from school, shot her multiple times before dousing her body in gasoline and setting it on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.

Troy's mother, Ashley Troy, reported her daughter missing as a runaway the following morning, unaware that the girl had been killed the night before. A passerby discovered the remains on December 2, along with Troy's electric scooter and shoes, prompting a swift investigation.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson described the scene as "really horrific," noting at a press conference, "It’s bad enough you kill a 14-year-old... shoot her multiple times, then they set her on fire."

Investigators say the motive stemmed from a falling out over Thanksgiving break, possibly involving an online dispute where Troy blocked one suspect on social media and insulted the other. Ashley Troy told reporters that one of the boys may have pretended to have a crush on her daughter to lure her to the meeting spot. The weapon used was reportedly stolen from Williams' mother, though no charges have been filed against any parents as of yet.

"She just wanted to be loved," Ashley Troy said in an emotional interview, adding that her daughter had once been friends with the accused. Despite the brutality, the grieving mother expressed mixed feelings: "I don’t hate them, I hate what they did to my baby... But I want nothing less than for them to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Neighbors in the typically peaceful Pace area expressed shock and fear. "It’s always been so quiet here, and it’s getting bad. It’s terrifying," one resident told local media.The suspects, who have had prior run-ins with the law according to authorities, were initially held in juvenile detention following their arrests in early December. They have since been transferred to the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.

As the holiday season approaches, Ashley Troy and her remaining daughter face an unimaginable loss. "There’s an emptiness where we were once three and are now just two," she said.

The case has sparked renewed debate over trying juveniles as adults for violent crimes, with Sheriff Johnson previously stating, "You do an adult crime, you need to do adult time."

The teens are due in court next as pretrial proceedings begin. The community continues to mourn Danika Troy, remembered by friends and family as a vibrant young girl full of potential.

17GEN4.com