Julio Rivera has been sentenced to death following the death of his close friend. The Honorable Elizabeth Blackburn sentenced Rivera to death for his murder conviction. In January, a Volusia County jury of four men and eight women found the defendant guilty of First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon.

The jurors also voted 8 to 4 to recommend death for Rivera for the murder of his childhood friend. On December 8, 2019, Rivera’s friend, Roberto Ovalle, visited him at the DeBary storage unit.

Ovalle had rented the unit and let Rivera stay there. Rivera felt disrespected by his friend so he pulled out a gun and shot Ovalle in the back of the head. The victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Ovalle’s girlfriend witnessed the crime and reported it to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. State Attorney R.J. Larizza reported that Rivera was convicted of robbery and murder in New York but served less than 25 years.

Following his release, he moved to Florida and killed his childhood friend within six months of his arrival.