Let's get something real clear. This defendant had an STD, and this defendant assumed that he got it from Brooklyn Sims. But, ladies and gentlemen, this is not about an STD. Does that make it okay? Absolutely not. This is not about an STD. This is about his pride. The STD is curable. Brooklyn Sims murder is not. On the sultry afternoon of Friday, August 11th, 2023. The languid air in Pensacola, Florida was abruptly shattered by a cacophony of terror. A lone man, embodying the essence of unforeseen malevolence, brazenly strode into a bustling Home Depot. His intentions, as obscure as they were, sinister in a moment that seemed to defy time. He unleashed a barrage of gunfire, transforming the mundane into the horrific in mere seconds. Amidst the aisles lined with tools and home essentials, one person was tragically slain, left lifeless in the wake of this inexplicable violence. The cruelty of the act was further compounded as two of the deceased's woman's colleagues were injured as a result of the assailant's fury. Yet as the investigation unfolded in the aftermath, the depths of the tragedy deepened. They revealed a narrative steeped in depravity, a blatant contempt for the sanctity of human life that chilled even the most seasoned detectives to the bone. As we venture into this multifaceted and deeply disturbing case, we had a path lined with questions of morality, sanity, and the very nature of evil itself. This is not merely a story of a crime, but a reflection of the darkest corners of the human psyche. Let's dive in. On Friday, August 11th, 2023, a worker at a Home Depot in Pensacola witnessed a disturbing incident. Well, I came back from a lunch break and went behind the counter to go pick up my trusty iPad I use for surveying. And I was talking to a coworker and I heard a pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, like five or six rounds go off. And I realized it was a gun. And I told him, I said, duck and cover and I went right up underneath the counter, back behind the main counter. And I was sat there in his cell and I called 911. Then I heard someone was hurt. And I said also police and paramedics. And I stayed with her on the line until the police arrived and told us to evacuate. When Escambia County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived, they discovered a deceased woman lying face down in aisle 52. She was identified as 18 year old Brooklynn Sims, a single mother with a two year old daughter who was working her usual shift. Two of Sims's colleagues were also shot. One was grazed in the head and the other grazed in the back. Deputies were told by witnesses that the suspect left the building running. "We do believe the victim was targeted," said Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons. And the other two were essentially in the wrong place at the wrong time. Surveillance footage captured a male entering the store and turning down aisle 52 seconds later. People are seen running from aisle 52 while the shooting suspect runs back toward the entrance. He flees into the parking lot, enters a silver four door sedan and exits the parking lot at a high rate of speed toward Duval Street. Soon after the shooting, a man called the Pensacola Police Department from a nearby Mellow mushroom restaurant on Bayou Boulevard. [DISPATCH] - Yes, 9-1-1. Hi, I’m trying to turn myself in. [DISPATCH] - You’re where? I’m trying to turn myself in. [DISPATCH] - Okay. Where are you at? I’m at Pensacola [indistinct]. [DISPATCH] - Pensacola Alabama? I don’t know what street I turned on [indistinct] . [DISPATCH] - What are you trying to turn yourself in for? Ma’am? [DISPATCH] - What are you trying to turn yourself in for? I made a mistake, I shot someone, [stutters] ... [DISPATCH] - No, you’re fine, just calm down. We’ll get someone to help you. [DISPATCH] - Are you injured at all? The caller went on to provide his location and officers arrived quickly The caller was identified as 20 year old Keith Agee from Calvert, Alabama. He was taken into custody without incident, according to the arrest report. Agee was transported to the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and subjected to interrogation, according to police records. After waiving his Miranda rights, he told detectives that he and the victim, Brooklynn Sims, had been in an off and on relationship for the past four years and had one child in common. He said despite Sims having been granted a protective order against him, she would still have contact with him so that he would be able to see their child. Agee claimed that they had spent the weekend together at his residence two weeks prior. They were intimate and the rest of the weekend was without conflict. He then began to describe a possible motive for his actions. Agee said he started his day by going to work at a steel company in Mount Vernon, Alabama. While at work, he received a call from a local medical office. He was given the news that he tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease, gonorrhea. Upon hearing the results, he became angry, left work, and drove to his home nearby to collect his nine millimeter handgun. He then got back in his car and started driving from his house to the Home Depot in Pensacola to confront Sims at her workplace. He added that he pulled over when he reached Luxley, Alabama. He said he thought about whether to keep driving at that time. Ultimately, he chose to allow his pride to get in the way of his judgment and continued driving to Pensacola. Agee explained to officers that Sims and his mother work at the same location. He stated that when he arrived at the store, he located her and asked to speak with her. But she said, not this again, and turned her back on him. Her coworker allegedly laughed at him and that's when he drew his weapon and fired multiple rounds, killing Sims and injuring two of her coworkers. Agee stated he fled the store, returned to his car and drove away from the scene. As he was driving, he tossed the firearm out of the car window. The weapon was later recovered by police. Agee said he then drove to a movie theater parking lot and wandered in the woods through a creek before deciding to call 911 to turn himself in. Agee was subsequently booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of murder in the first degree domestic violence and two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was given no bond pending his first appearance. In typical criminal proceedings, a pretrial detention would signal a pause in the action as all parties await the trial for justice to unfold. Yet in this peculiar and twisted story, such detention was not an end, but merely the opening act, setting the stage for a sordid and unexpected turn of events. Following Keith Agee's arrest, authorities confiscated his cell phone. A search warrant was swiftly obtained, paving the way for a forensic examination of the device. The data extracted from Agee's phone, even in its partial form, left the most hardened staff members in a state of disbelief. Recovered text messages exchanged between Keith Agee and his mother. Sheila began at 10:37 a.m. on the day of the murder until a mere 40 minutes before the shooting at Home Depot. Keith starts the text message thread. 2 minutes after learning about the STD test results, he finds out his mother is working with Sims in Pensacola and expects to give her a ride home to Alabama after work to collect their daughter. His initial plan is to confront Sims as soon as they arrive at 11:09 a.m.. Keith texts. She ain't do nothing but cost me money and give me an ... I'm getting ready to shoot her. I know I hate that for my daughter, but like I said, I can't take it no more. Sheila responds one minute later, stating, Okay, I'll call you and tell you, mf, If you want to go to jail, I'll tell you when we get close. But if you don't, come, kill her you a ... Don't call Nanny and tell her she'll try to talk you out of it. Keith replies. I ain't even going to tell her why I left. I'm just going to say I got to go to the dentist. To which Sheila replies, Don't shoot at my M-F car. I don't want to die. Keith says, I'm not. Sheila states. Wait till I put her out. In discussing his plan to kill Brooklyn in the Home Depot parking lot, Keith tells his mother, "But that's another thing. If she don't get out that car, Momma and I have to drag her out, or can't, I'm going to ask you to step out because I'm going to open the door and just shoot her." "As long as you don't shoot me," replies Sheila. She then adds, "Hell, if you're getting off work now, I'll give you the address here and you can write over here and do it so you don't have to do it in front of your daughter." Keith agrees, responding, "Send it to me." Sheila, seeming to understand the risky nature of the conversation, texts, "Hold up. Let me get it. Erase the texts because I don't want nobody to know I was texting your stupid ass." Keith states, "I already deleted mine. Trust me, I ain't going to say shit about us even talking today" at 11:32 a.m.. Keith confirms to his mother that he is headed to Pensacola and asks for the address again. Sheila replies, "I'm getting it. Give me a minute. I'm on lunch." At 11:43 a.m.. Keith asks for the address a third time, and for the first time in the conversation. Sheila responds with some semblance of motherly wisdom, while still promising to give him the information he needs to fulfill his morbid plan. Sheila states "You don't give a fuck about that baby. I'll get you the address when I get back. And you ain't showing nobody nothin except you got mental issues because you're willing to give up your life and your baby daughter's life and hurt your family over a [expletive]. But don't worry. I'll make sure she knows Brooklyn gave you something that you had to get a shot for, but that you didn't love her enough to give a fuck about what happened to her. That she wasn't enough for you." Finally, at 11:55 a.m., Sheila sends her son a screenshot of the address for the Home Depot on North Davis Highway in Pensacola. One of Keith's last messages to his mother reads, "So that last thought of her knowing she's [expletive] and the regret in her face will be enough to satisfy me. I don't give a [expletive] what she sees when she's dead." The final text in the thread is sent by Sheila at 12:42 stating "okay, then stop texting me. I'm working. Do whatever." Less than one hour later, Brooklyn Sims was dead. [JUDGE] - Okay, Ms. Agee. This is, uh, one charge of homicide. [JUDGE] - Would you like to have an attorney appointed to help you? [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - Good afternoon, Your Honor. Jack Wilkins for Ms. Agee. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - I’m assisting Mr. Rabby. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - He’s unavailable for today, so I’m covering her first appearance. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - Your honor, I beleive she is before the court on no bond on principal to ... [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - premeditated first-degree murder [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - I would ask that bond be addressed, your honor. [JUDGE] - Alright. Mr. Myers? [STATE ATTY] - Yes your honor. You’ve read the report. [STATE ATTY] - This was a warrant where the judge issuing the warrant issued no bond. [STATE ATTY] - She’s not entitled to a bond. She’s from Alabama. This is a capital offense. [STATE ATTY] - You have read the report, this is a serious offense with significant evidence. [STATE ATTY] - It’s a mandatory life sentence if she’s convicted. [STATE ATTY] - It will obviously be taken before a grand jury. [STATE ATTY] - We ask that in the meantime it remains as a no bond. [JUDGE] - Mr. Wilkins is there anything else on this? [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - Yes, your honor. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - As far as the evidence is concerned, now Mr. Myers is correct. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - This is a capital offense that was allegedly perpetrated by her son. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - And she is a principal to the alleged incident. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - The majority of the evidence this court has reviewed is ... text messages that were taken out of context. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - And, your honor, to my knowledge she has no prior criminal history that would support such a charge. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - Notwithstanding the fact that the state is correct that she’s not entitled as a matter of right for bond; however ... [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - the first appearance judge can still issue a bond. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - We’ll be asking for a $250,000 bond, cash or professional, your honor. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - With a monitor should the court ... [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - require one. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - Notwithstanding the fact that she is in Alabama as her residence. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - She can be made to find lodging here, in this jurisdiction, your honor. [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - So, again, we would be requesting a $250,000 cash/professional bond and with a monitor and ... [PUBLIC DEFENDER] - pretrial services to monitor her activities while she is in Escambia County. [JUDGE] - Alright, thank you sir. At this time the bond will remain at no bond. [JUDGE] - You’ll be ordered to have no contact with any witnesses in the case. [JUDGE to CLERK] - Is it eight September the next court date? [JUDGE to CLERK] - Alright ma’am you’re next court date is eighth of September, okay? on Monday, August 14th, three days after the murder of Brooklyn Sims, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, concluded that Sheila Agee played a major role in the killing of Brooklyn Semmes. Sheriff Chip Simmons stated the murder itself is unbelievable, but to know the mother knew about it and helped coordinate it is incomprehensible. Consequently, Sheila Agee was arrested in Washington County, Alabama, and was extradited to Florida to face charges. She made her initial appearance remotely at the M.C. Blanchard Courthouse on August 17th, where the judge denied her request for bond. Sheila was charged with principal to first degree premeditated murder under Florida law. A principal is a person who intentionally helps another person commit crime, also known as an accomplice. As per Florida statute, a person does not have to be at the scene of the crime to be charged and convicted as a principal. Principal theory is a way for the state to hold accomplices criminally responsible for the actions of a partnership or group. Sheila AG will be tried separately from her son and her next court date is set for February 28th, 2024. The trial of Florida versus Keith AG commenced on December 19th, 2023. Prosecutors entered the courtroom with confidence, bolstered by what they considered an overwhelming case for conviction. The evidence against Agee was formidable a confession, clear video evidence, testimonies from multiple eyewitnesses and damning text messages. Given the strength of this evidence, it seemed the prosecution's presence in the courtroom was essentially a formality. On August 11, 2023, this defendant, Keith Agee, was on his own mission. And what the evidence will show and the state will prove is that his mission was to find, shoot and kill Brooklyn Sims. You are going to hear that this defendant left his job in Alabama. He drove an hour and a half to 2 hours from Alabama to Pensacola to the Home Depot. He parked his car in the parking lot. He drove he walked to the front entrance of the Home Depot and he literally walked directly to the aisle where Brooklynn Simms was working at that time. He then fired at least seven shots from a nine millimeter handgun directly at Brooklyn Center. At that point, he found her. He shot her and he killed her. His mission accomplished Agee's public defender had the unenviable task of arguing against the compelling evidence from when. First. Thank you all for being with us through the process yesterday. I know it gets repetitive and it took a lot of your time, so we appreciate you for being here today. I know, like the judge said yesterday, a jury summons isn't an invitation, but we appreciate your service and we're asking you to pay attention today and render a fair and impartial verdict at the end of this trial. Now, this is going to be a bit different type of case than it's normally tried in criminal court. And as far that, I don't expect to contest a lot of the facts and the evidence that the state puts on. You heard the government's attorney tell you everything they anticipate showing to you. There's going to be high resolution surveillance video from the Home Depot, scores of witnesses that are unbiased and impartial cell phone tracking data. All of this stuff is not going to be in dispute. But at the end of this trial, he's going to ask you to render as being fair and impartial jurors selecting to hear the facts of this case and ultimately reach a decision. I'm going to ask you to determine whether this was a cold, calculated, premeditated first degree murder as the state's charged it, or was it something else? Was it something else? You just witnessed h.s. Defense attorney state the question is not whether Keith Agee killed Brooklyn Sims, but whether Agee was in his proper state of mind. For example, was he so enraged that he was not in control of his mental capacity? A conviction on a reduced charge of second degree murder would mean that the 20 year old Agee could still have some semblance of a life when his prison term is done In the state of Florida, a conviction of first degree murder is punishable by a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole and in certain circumstances, the death penalty. In most murder trials, it is generally considered not a good idea for the accused to take the stand. But in this case, the decision was made that Agee would testify in court in the hopes of persuading jury members to his diminished responsibility claim his right hand to swear or affirm testimony about getting to the location of the relatives of the death and. All right, Let me point out several times that I want you to carry your last name for the record. Keep. They're getting a G.E.D.. How did today begin? It started off as any other average morning. I got off work early, got dressed and started my day and proceeded to work. When did you have to work that day? Yes, sir. States introduced text messages between you and your mother. That's correct. And that's between you and your mother? Yes, sir. At some point that day, you discover you're in darkness with gonorrhea. Yes, sir. How did you find out? I received a call from Greater Mobile. Urgent Care. When had you. When have you taken a screen test? The following day before Tuesday. To that day. Tuesday prior to the hearing? Yes, sir. Why did you have a test? I started experiencing abnormal abnormalities that I've never had while being in resting and sitting down. Had you ever had a sexually transmitted disease? Never in my life. Other than for a weekend. Was that after? Immediately after the weekend. You spent the first one? Yes, sir. The following Tuesday, I got a test. Had you been sexually active with anyone else? Not for almost two months. With anybody else. After you performed, you had this. How did you do? Enraged. Betrayed her. Through this testimony, the defense aimed to achieve several objectives to present Adji as a relatable individual, delve into and clarify his mental state at the time of the offense and sway the jury by showing a sense of remorse and acceptance of responsibility. Yet it was crucial that his demeanor, the consistency of his narrative and his overall credibility hold up under the rigorous cross-examination by the prosecution, where every detail of his testimony would be meticulously scrutinized. He heard testimony earlier today that Salvador, 2 hours away, they arrived for the average trip. It didn't take me 2 hours. I want to take you anywhere close to around an hour and 30. An hour and a half. Yes, sir. Did you stop in where a lot of. I think I stopped to get gas along the way. Did you not stop in Loxley? Think that's one of the stores I stopped? I can't recall. How many stops did you make? Only one. Why do you say once you stop there? Because I can't. I can't possibly remember what store. I stopped there along any of the exits. I don't. I don't. I'm not too familiar with any of the area going further around Loxley. You know, we're past Mobile Bridge. And how many exits are between how we're holding up any pop? I'd say about 20. Maybe 48. Now, you got a phone call that morning from your doctor saying that he tested positive for the gonorrhea, right? Yes, sir. And you said you were at work when it happened and you went straight home and that you heard it was your grandmother's house, right? Yes, sir. How far was that? And you were, doesn't it? Doesn't take me two and a half minutes to leave my job and get to my house. And you said you weren't in the house of a minute and a half? Yes, ma'am, I have. Yes, sir. I didn't know that at the home. I remember leaving my car running and I never I never my from park close to the house. And it's not 15 feet from front for front porch to my to my room and back down in downtown. You went straight to your room. You got your business? Yes, sir. That's what we saw earlier today. Yes, sir. Was your grandmother home? Yes, sir. You talked to her? No, sir. And you knew Brooklyn would be with your mother, but you didn't know where they'd be working, right? Yes, sir. And you got the address from your mother? Yes, sir. So when you got the phone call from your doctor, you automatically assume Brooklyn gave it to you, right? Yes, sir. So your testimony is that you drove an hour to the beginning of this to got the address from your mother. You went straight to the Home Depot, right? Yes, sir. It stopped anywhere in school? No, sir. I didn't stop in Pensacola. No, sir. She went straight to the Home Depot. You can't. Your car actually next to your mother's car, right? Yes, sir. You left your car and you went up to approach saw the video early, right? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. What were you looking at? Nothing. Nothing. My phone was just in my hand from being in the car. I had a saw because I didn't know my way through Pensacola or how to get to Home Depot here in the parking lot in that store. Or did you not look down at your phone? Probably. I can't recall. What was your mother telling you where she was? No, sir. Not in the store. No, she she told me on the way to Home Depot that they would be in Home Depot. Did she tell you what I. No, sir. She drop a point to know so you enter the Home Depot in the main entrance that you walked directly to aisle 52, right? No, sir. I walked along the aisles looking. I didn't know which out exactly that she would be located on. You stop and talk to you. But no, sir. You went straight to her? Yes. You walked down once. She saw you walk down the aisle. And you said you gave me something. Yes, sir. She says in your words. Not this again. It turned away from me. Yes, sir. You said on the ride over here this hour and a half, you were. You were in rage. Betrayed, hurt, right? Yes, sir. You said you saw Brooklyn, and no matter what. Yes. For a brief moment. Yes, sir. How was this brief moment? Until she turned away from me? I said not game. You said again you felt her rage betrayed the same thing you just said. Yes, sir. Never been so mad in your life. Yes, sir. Because she turned away from me. Yes, sir. And you were going to take your son? Yes, sir. In her closing arguments, prosecutor Bridget Jensen asked the jury to weigh the evidence and recognize the gravity of the crime committed. Mr. Weiss said the only question for you is, was this a cold, calculated or premeditated murder? And you heard the evidence, and that's exactly what it is. He said, is this was this something hot and fiery? Ladies and gentlemen, the only thing hot and fiery in this case was this defendant's premeditation as he fired those hot and fiery bullets into her body. Mr. Wise was talking about the small nick in the back of Ms.. Thomas's back. Will, Thank goodness. Thank goodness that's the only injury she had. Because you heard the testimony, you've seen the evidence. Bullets are flying, fragments are flying, People are flying to get away from their. She told you she felt something and she went down. She was on that aisle. She was right there dodging a bullet and only getting a grace. Thank goodness you heard testimony from Dr. Alessi. She looked at the pictures that injuries consistent with shrapnel. Let's get something real clear. This defendant had an acid. And this defendant assumed that he got it from Brooklyn Sims. But ladies and gentlemen, this is not about an S.T.D.. Does that make it okay? Absolutely not. This is not about an STD. This is about his pride. The STD is curable. Brooklyn SYMMES murder is not 29 holes. He riddled into her body, didn't cure his ass to death, but it cured his pride. The mom's involvement. Mr. Wise said she stoked this defendant's flames. And let me tell you something. Those text messages are nothing less than despicable. You have them in evidence. They're despicable between both of them. But Sheila Agg is not on trial today. Keith Agius in the circuit court for Escambia County, Florida State of Florida. Plaintiff versus Keith. Eric Adji, Defendant, Clerk Number 17236003379. A Division a verdict we the jury find as follows. As to the counts charged in the indictment, count one guilty of first degree murder as charged. Count two, not guilty. So say we all this 20th day of December 2023, upon his conviction, the Honorable Judge Coleman Lee Robinson immediately sentenced Keith Agee to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During the sentencing, attorney Jensen wanted to clarify one final matter for the record. One, I only indicated in addition to time, this is an extraction report from a cell phone number. And there just some text that she has just seen her work on is hardly on page four says the picture of strength she has on every last page. She shows that someone actually did not have gonorrhea. And I know Grantski case. It doesn't matter. We just wanted to give you some.