A man, Lenard White, has been found guilty of murder for orchestrating the killing of a 17-year-old girl who reported him to the police for sexual assault. Isabella Scavelli and her mother, La Shawn Pope, reported White to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office in Florida on February 6, 2023, for sexually assaulting Isabella. Tragically, Isabella was shot dead the following day at her home by a gunman identified as Sheldon Robinson, who was acting on White’s orders.

Following a thorough investigation, White was apprehended by law enforcement. He has been convicted by a federal jury in the Middle District of Florida for a range of offenses, including murder and murder for hire. The charges against White include conspiracy to commit murder for hire, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Isabella, a high school junior involved in various school activities such as the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), was shot in the back by Robinson as she tried to flee for help upon seeing him at her door. La Shawn, her mother, was also injured during the attack and witnessed her daughter’s tragic death.

La Shawn was airlifted to a hospital in Tampa for treatment after sustaining multiple injuries during the incident. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), quickly identified Robinson and White as suspects. The murder weapon was later recovered from Robinson’s backyard, where he had buried it months after the crime.

Both White and Robinson have been convicted of multiple charges related to the murder, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, firearm offenses, and drug possession. They are facing the possibility of multiple life sentences and are scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2026.