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Opening statements begin in trial of man accused of killing niece after impregnating her
Johnathan Quiles pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder & sexual battery charges after he allegedly impregnated, killed his 16-year-old niece, Iyana Sawyer.Opening statements begin in trial of man accused of killing niece after impregnating her
Opening statements begin Thursday morning for the death penalty trial of Johnathan Quiles, 33. The man is accused of murdering his 16-year-old niece, Iyana Sawyer after getting her pregnant.
The trial begins after three days of questioning more than 100 jurors; 12 jurors and four alternates were selected late Wednesday.
Quiles pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and sexual battery charges in connection to Iyana's killing as she was a Terry Parker High School sophomore who vanished in 2018. Her body was never found but investigators say Quiles killed her because she was pregnant with his child.
On Thursday, Quiles walked in the courtroom smiling, as he can be watched doing so in the YouTube video below.
Prosecutor Stacie French started Thursday by quoting from an exchange between Johnathan Quiles and his biological brother, Joseph, as well as statements made on a recorded wire.
Quotes included:
"The girl might be pregnant. I can’t lose my family if she has the baby. I have to get rid of the body."
"What was her name?" "Ilyana. She was 16. She was pregnant – five months. I talked my niece into running away... had her come to my job, Ace Pick A Part on North Main Street."
"Why your job?" "The Dumpster’s at my job. I control what gets dumped."
"Did you kill her one day and dump her body the next?" "Yes, they’re going to give me the needle."
"Why?" "One: premeditated murder. Two: young adult with an unborn child – five months. They consider that, too."
"Did you shoot her? Did you shoot her in the head?" "No, not head, heart."
Addressing the jury, defense attorney Robert Davis said of prosecutors, “These are great people with a very tough job. But, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to meet their burden. The crime, as you can see, is that of premeditated first-degree murder. They have to prove Mr. Quiles is the person who killed Iyana Sawyer and her unborn child. They have to prove that. They also have to show that he premeditated it in such a way to prove this was a heinous crime. The state will not be able to meet that burden.”
The state’s first witness was Kimberly Mobley, Iyana’s mother. Mobley described her daughter as a straight A student, a “homebody,” who only ever spent the night at home or at her aunt Naomi Mobley’s house. Mobley was previously married to Quiles.
Mobley says she “was a little upset at first” when she learned her daughter was pregnant, but said, “as soon as I felt that baby kick,” she determined she would support the pregnancy. “She wanted to [have the baby],” Mobley testified.
At the time Iyana disappeared, she was five months pregnant and had picked a name for the baby girl, “Hazel Michelle Mobley.”
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Good. Horrible man. Incestuous. She was underaged. Baby killer and child killer (mom).Johnathan Quiles found guilty of murder in death of his pregnant 16-year-old niece, Iyana Sawyer
A jury found Johnathan Quiles guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant 16-year-old niece Iyana Sawyer following about an hour after deliberations on Thursday evening.Johnathan Quiles found guilty of murder in death of his pregnant 16-year-old niece, Iyana Sawyer
A jury found Johnathan Quiles guilty Thursday of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant 16-year-old niece, Iyana Sawyer, following about an hour of deliberations.
Quiles was also found guilty of sexual battery and the first-degree murder of her unborn child.
The verdict came on the sixth day of the trial that included emotional testimony and an avalanche of evidence against Quiles, who was accused of murdering his niece by marriage who was five months pregnant when she disappeared in December 2018. The prosecution alleged the child Sawyer was carrying was Quiles’, and he was also charged with having sex with a minor because Sawyer was only a teenager at the time.
The state is seeking the death penalty and the jury will reconvene on Monday to begin the penalty phase.
Attorney John Phillips, who is representing the Sawyer family in the wrongful death lawsuit against Quiles, issued a statement following the verdict.
“Today, a nearly 5-year nightmare ends with another measure of justice. We thank the jury, law enforcement and judge, as well as all of our friends and family who reached out when we needed it most. Johnathan Quiles has now been found guilty of murder and will go back before a jury to determine his fate on earth, but he chose to end Iyana’s young life. He was a predator and the jury saw that with ease. We are grateful. Please keep our family in your prayers. Thank you from the family of Iyana Sawyer,” Phillips said.
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Good for the judge. Very merciful for the jury to spare this cretin from the death penalty... Not sure why they would have but hey nice of them. At least they delivered the right verdict so thumb's up for that. And again kudos to the judge for hopefully ensuring this monster will never see the light of day.Jacksonville judge gives Quiles maximum punishment allowed
Judge Anthony Salem was notably emotional during Monday's sentencing, ordering Quiles to serve three life sentences.Jacksonville judge gives Quiles maximum punishment allowed
A judge sentenced the Jacksonville man convicted of murdering his pregnant niece to three consecutive life sentences Monday.
During an 11-week trial that ended Sept. 25, Johnathan Quiles was guilty of raping and murdering his niece, Iyana Sawyer, and her unborn baby. The jury suggested life in prison, sparing him the death penalty.
Still, Judge Anthony Salem offered no mercy, issuing the maximum punishment allowed by law.
Friggin’ jury!!!!Jacksonville judge gives Quiles maximum punishment allowed
Judge Anthony Salem was notably emotional during Monday's sentencing, ordering Quiles to serve three life sentences.Jacksonville judge gives Quiles maximum punishment allowed
A judge sentenced the Jacksonville man convicted of murdering his pregnant niece to three consecutive life sentences Monday.
During an 11-week trial that ended Sept. 25, Johnathan Quiles was guilty of raping and murdering his niece, Iyana Sawyer, and her unborn baby. The jury suggested life in prison, sparing him the death penalty.
Still, Judge Anthony Salem offered no mercy, issuing the maximum punishment allowed by law.
Yeah I don't know what they could have found in this case to be merciful enough to not vote DP. There is sooo much in this case to decide otherwise. They did find him guilty though thank goodness. LOVE the judge with three life sentences!
This POS is so depraved and vile. He killed to get rid of what in his mind was an inconvenience! People knew about it! There was no question. So he had no mercy raping his OWN niece. I doubt she got pregnantfrom one time. He had no mercy killing her or her child. He deserved NO MERCY!!! What jury can give him that?!!!!
I don't disagree. It is a depraved soul from the get go that molests their own family member, a child, she was SIXTEEN and pregnant by her uncle when he murdered her AND the child. I would HAVE to hope there was only like on idiot on the jury that couldn't bring themselves to vote DP but at least hey weren't the type that couldn't also not vote guilty.
