Florida judge sentenced a young man to spend most of his natural life behind bars for his role in the brutal murder of a man while he was on probation 

Savonne Morrison, 21, was sentenced to 45 years in prison for brutally beating Jeffery Chapman], 49, to death with a tire iron near Clearwater Beach, Florida in Oct. 2022

Chapman, then 18, was killed after Morrison was contacted by his friend Jermaine Bennett, then 26, who enlisted his help to go beat up his ex-girlfriend’s new lover

Morrison and Bennett failed to track down their intended victim, having binged on booze and cocaine as they drove around St. Petersburg, began smashing up random cars with a tire iron

The pair happened on Jeffery Chapman, knocked him off his bicycle with the tool and took turns bludgeoning him in a savage attack caught on surveillance cameras

With both men charged with first-degree murder, Bennett was convicted of the charge in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison, while the jury opted to convict Morrison of the lesser charge of manslaughter

Considering his prior convictions for violent felony the judge sentenced Morrison to 15 years for manslaughter, another 30 years for violating probation, with both running consecutively

Victim: Jeffery Chapman, [photo], 49, was brutally beaten to death with a tire iron by two teens while riding his bike near Clearwater Beach, Florida in 2022

A Florida court has pronounced that a young man will spend nearly half a century to 45 years behind bars for his role in the fatal tire iron beating of a man on October 20, 2022, while he was on probation. 
Facing murder charges, Savonne Morrison pled guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. On Monday the now 21-year-old was sentenced to 45 years in prison by Judge Elizabeth Jack, for his part in the heinous killing of Jeffrey Chapman, a 49-year-old bludgeoned to death with a tire iron by total strangers while he was riding his bicycle on Clearwater beach, four years ago. 
The defendant, just 18 at the time, was four months into probation for a carjacking when he and his pal Jermaine Bennett, then 26, committed the murder. 
Despite Morrison drawing the lengthy sentence after an exhaustive hearing, his parents do not believe their son received fair hearing.
Both parents addressed the court in writing during the hearing, with his father claiming his son was misunderstood. 
‘Throughout this case, it has been heartbreaking to watch my son be portrayed as someone that he is not’, his father said. 

Killer: Initially charged with first degree murder, Savonne Morrison, [photo], 21, pled guilty to manslaughter in the brutal killing of Jeffery Chapman. On Monday he was sentenced to 45 years in prison, after a lengthy hearing 

Chapman was killed after Morrison was contacted by his friend Jermaine Bennett, who was enlisting his help in a plan to go and assault his ex-girlfriend’s new lover.
However, Bennett with Morrison in tow, failed to track down their intended victim. They pair who were binging on booze and cocaine as they drove around St. Petersburg, were as caught on camera on a rampage smashing up random cars with a tire iron.
In the midst of their rampage they stopped 82-year-old John Budenas to ask for directions, then began beating him with the tire iron too.  
Making their way to Clearwater Beach, they spotted Chapman riding his bicycle. Bennett jumped from the car and knocked him off off the bike with the iron. 
Prosecutors said they then took turns in beating him to death with the tool. Surveillance footage of the brutal attack had been shown to jurors earlier. 

The court heard Morrison was 15 when he colluded with two others on an armed carjacking of another young man who was seeing a girl he was dating. In a report the court heard, a probation officer called Morrison, associated with violence since his youth, a ‘danger to society.’ 

Jermaine Bennett, [left], then 26, recruited Savonne Morrison [right], then 18, for their crime spree. With both charged with first-degree murder, Bennett was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to life in prison. The jury opted to convict Morrison of the lesser charge of manslaughter

Chapman had no connection to his killers and had not engaged with them prior to his killing, with the senselessness of the murder outraging his family.  
The incident was captured on video. Police identified Morrison and Bennett from the license plate on the vehicle.
In his police interview Bennett admitted to hitting Chapman with the tire iron at least 10 times.
Detectives also found text messages between the suspects which would suggest a lack of remorse for their actions.
Morrison texted Bennett a link to a news story about the incident, to which the latter Bennett responds “lol”. He later texted Morrison “we did it”, referring to them as “legends.”
Bennett’s phone also had videos showing the two vandalizing and busting out windows of cars before the attack on Chapman..
Both men were charged with first-degree murder. Bennett was convicted of the charge and sentenced to life in prison. The jury opted to convict Morrison of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Chapman’s daughter Sierra who addressed the court by phone, said: ‘My father was murdered for sport. 
‘What makes this even more disgusting is that the defendant was on probation for a violent felony when he did this. A violent prior offense, probation given, and murder chosen. 
‘If this is who he has been when he was given a second chance, what exactly would a third chance produce? My father was given no chances that night.’

Morrison as a juvenile had compiled prior convictions for violent crime. on Monday Judge Elizabeth Jack sentenced him to 15 years for manslaughter, another 30 years for violating his probation, to run consecutively

Morrison from an early age had compiled priors of violent action. At Monday’s sentencing hearing the defense attorney got into a lengthy exchange with prosecutors, arguing over Morrison’s prior record. His penchant for violent felony, whether he was deserving of harsher penalties.
The court heard that prior to the killing of Chapman, Morrison was arrested for carrying out an armed carjacking and sentenced as a young offender. 
Being a minor, his sentence was capped at six years but he only spent one year behind bars. He had been out on probation for just four months at the time of Chapman’s death. 
The court heard that Morrison was 15 when he and two others planned an armed carjacking of another young man who had been dating the same girl as he was.
The target of that attack, Benji Joseph, told the court he was forced from the vehicle and brutally for a group beat down. 
Joseph whose injuries were so extensive that his left ear had to be surgically re-attached to his head, told the court he still suffers from pain. 
Considering the Chapman murder happened with the defendant out for just four months, prosecutors asked Judge Jack on Monday to sentence him to life in prison. Assistant District Attorney Koskinas cited a pre-sentencing report written by a probation officer who described Morrison as a ‘danger to society’.
Countering the stiff sentencing request, Morrison’s attorney’s said that imposing a life sentence would be a breach of a Supreme Court decision, citing the case of Graham v. Florida, which found that sentencing juveniles to life imprisonment without parole for non-homicide crimes violates the Eighth Amendment. 
Ultimately, Judge Elizabeth Jack sentenced Morrison to 15 years for manslaughter, and another 30 years for violating his probation on the carjacking charge, with both sentences running consecutively.