Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida :
(Lake County, FL) Last week, 22-year-old Kenneth Dalon Bailey entered a plea of guilty to the charge of Second-Degree Murder for the 2024 murder of 87-year-old Clarence Harold Ervin. Judge Cary Rada sentenced Bailey to 45 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.
“Despite his young age, this defendant made the choice that led to the tragic and senseless loss of an innocent life. This conviction and substantial sentence underscore the seriousness of his actions and provide justice for the victim’s family and friends,” said Walter Forgie, Chief Assistant State Attorney.
On September 28, 2024, the victim, Clarence Harold Ervin was shot at a Leesburg gas station located off West Main Street. Leesburg Police Department officers responded to the scene where they located the victim with apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was transported for medical treatment and would later succumb to his injuries.
Witnesses on the scene informed officials of the directions that the suspects fled and were able to provide detailed descriptions of each. Contact was made with the store clerk who was able to provide video surveillance footage of the incident, showing three suspects approached the victim while the victim was sitting inside his vehicle at the gas pump. Two of the three suspects stood beside the passenger door of the vehicle, while the third suspect, later identified as Bailey, stood by the opened driver’s door and appeared to exchange words with the victim before pulling out a firearm and shooting the victim.
After issuing a public bulletin asking for help identifying the three suspects, officials received information identifying one of the suspects, named Craig Stevenson Jr. The witness indicated to authorities that Stevenson had a best friend named Kenney, later determined to be the defendant. Additional information was developed during the investigation by detectives to identify the third suspect.
Both Bailey and Stevenson were arrested for their involvement in the crime. The investigation into the third suspect involved remains ongoing.
Assistant State Attorneys Ken Nunnelley and Shannon Schlarf prosecuted this case.
