Elijah Joredell Daley, a 21-year-old man from Lake Placid, Florida, was described by his relatives as a hard-working person who would help anyone in need. In the early morning hours of May 8, 2025, he was in a room at the Ramada Inn off U.S. 27 with three acquaintances when his life was cut short in a violent robbery.
Deputies from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 5 a.m. call about a shooting and found Daley dead in Room 224 from multiple gunshot wounds.
The three other people in the room—J’Mari Mitchell, 18, La’Niyah Nevaeh McLeod, 19, and Yoshabelle Edouard, 19—initially told investigators they were merely witnesses. They claimed a masked man had forced his way into the room, struggled with Daley, and shot him.
Investigators quickly began to unravel their story. Within hours, detectives determined that the three had not been witnesses but had instead been involved in setting up a robbery targeting Daley. Using security camera footage and other evidence, authorities identified the alleged shooter as Latarius Jamar Johnson, 26, and the getaway driver as Jyer’Markis T. Jenkins, 20.
Within 12 hours of the shooting, deputies located Jenkins, who was arrested after a high-speed chase. Johnson was found and taken into custody in Sebring the following evening. Mitchell, McLeod, and Edouard were also arrested. All five were charged with first-degree murder, with prosecutors noting they may seek the death penalty. Johnson was also charged with armed robbery, while the other four face murder charges under the felony murder rule, which holds accomplices responsible when a death occurs during the commission of a serious crime.
Later, a sixth person was arrested in connection with the case. Latisha Beatrice Walton, 40, was charged with tampering with physical evidence for allegedly disposing of guns and cellphones linked to the shooting in a dumpster at a Sebring apartment complex.
The defendants remain in custody while they await trial. Following a bond hearing for La'Niyah McLeod, a judge denied her request for bond in September 2025.
