CLEARWATER — Jurors have convicted a*St. Pete Beach man of second-degree murder for severely injuring another man as authorities were driving them to the Pinellas County Jail. The injured man later died.
Leonard Lanni, 38, was drinking and celebrating his birthday with family on July 6, 2013, at the Sirata Beach Resort when he began making a scene, yelling profane comments and shoving a security guard, a prosecutor told the jury, which rendered its verdict in Lanni’s trial on Thursday.
Lanni was arrested by St. Pete Beach police for disorderly conduct and picked up by a van, driven by a private contractor, heading to the Pinellas County Jail. Thomas Morrow, 59, also was in the van. Authorities had taken him into custody earlier that evening after he was found drunk and passed out beneath a “Welcome to Treasure Island” sign, the prosecutor said.
Morrow had minor wounds on his elbow, knees and ankle when he entered the van, the assistant state attorney told jurors. He refused hospital treatment.
Police said Lanni kicked Morrow repeatedly in the back of the van during the ride to jail, significantly injuring Morrow’s head and upper body.
Morrow spent time in intensive care at two hospitals after the incident. He had a number of surgeries and his spleen was removed before he died Sept. 12, 2013.
Lanni initially was charged with aggravated battery. The charge was increased to second-degree murder after Morrow’s death.
Lanni is set to be sentenced July 10.
The trial was overseen by Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court Judge Joseph A. Bulone
Leonard Lanni, 38, was drinking and celebrating his birthday with family on July 6, 2013, at the Sirata Beach Resort when he began making a scene, yelling profane comments and shoving a security guard, a prosecutor told the jury, which rendered its verdict in Lanni’s trial on Thursday.
Lanni was arrested by St. Pete Beach police for disorderly conduct and picked up by a van, driven by a private contractor, heading to the Pinellas County Jail. Thomas Morrow, 59, also was in the van. Authorities had taken him into custody earlier that evening after he was found drunk and passed out beneath a “Welcome to Treasure Island” sign, the prosecutor said.
Morrow had minor wounds on his elbow, knees and ankle when he entered the van, the assistant state attorney told jurors. He refused hospital treatment.
Police said Lanni kicked Morrow repeatedly in the back of the van during the ride to jail, significantly injuring Morrow’s head and upper body.
Morrow spent time in intensive care at two hospitals after the incident. He had a number of surgeries and his spleen was removed before he died Sept. 12, 2013.
Lanni initially was charged with aggravated battery. The charge was increased to second-degree murder after Morrow’s death.
Lanni is set to be sentenced July 10.
The trial was overseen by Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court Judge Joseph A. Bulone