On January 24, 2024, Mario Schiano, 47, and his friend Anthony Galleotti, 44, were found shot dead at the Schiano residence on Trails End Drive in Punta Gorda, Florida. The incident occurred just before 1:00 PM, when Charlotte County dispatchers received a call reporting the shootings. Deputies and detectives from the Major Case Unit of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to the scene and secured the area.
The investigation revealed that the murders were part of a conspiracy involving Kelly Schiano, Mario's wife, and Everett Harper. Both Kelly Schiano and Everett Harper have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and have entered not guilty pleas. They are accused of hiring Justin Casagranda, a longtime friend of the Schiano family, to carry out the killings. Casagranda, who had lived in the Trails End Drive home until he moved to Athens, Georgia about two years prior, was arrested in Athens and is facing two counts of second-degree murder.
According to Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, the motive behind the murders is believed to be related to "drugs and money," as the Schianos were reportedly "heavy into the drug trade." Casagranda was found to be in possession of a firearm, which was discovered during a search warrant executed at his Georgia home. He is currently awaiting extradition to Charlotte County to face the murder charges.
The case is ongoing, with Kelly Schiano and Everett Harper being held in pretrial detention without bond. Their attorneys and the prosecutor are still processing a substantial amount of discovery material, including additional testimonies, supplements, and videos. Depositions in the case cannot begin until Casagranda is arraigned, which is scheduled for May 20. The next case management conference for Schiano and Harper is set for June 11.
