JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a Jacksonville father during a quadruple shooting in Arlington in 2020.
Latroy Montgomery was given life for all charges and he was credited 1,143 days already spent in jail.
Montgomery shot and killed Maurice Anderson on Oct. 28, 2020.
Anderson was one of four people shot that night.
His mother, Kim Anderson, gave a victim impact statement at the sentencing. She talked about how much he loved his family and how much they loved him back.
Before the statements, Montgomery’s attorney asked for a new trial, but it was quickly denied. After Anderson’s family members spoke, photos of him with his wife and children were shown. His mother described the images to the courtroom, showing all the milestones and moments that he’s missed since he was killed.
One of the most emotional moments came when his 10-year-old son, Daryll stood up to speak. He said he wishes his father had never been murdered, through tears.
After the sentencing, the Anderson family walked out of the courtroom filled with both grief and relief.
“I was speechless but I knew what the outcome was going to be. I had that much confidence in them that this would be the outcome,” Anderson said.
She added that this brings both closure and justice.
News4JAX has spoken with her several times since her son was killed almost five years ago.
She said it has been tough dealing with the loss of Maurice. She wants Montgomery to spend the rest of his life in prison.
“[Montgomery] took me through it the last five years without my son,” Anderson said. “I miss my son so much. I have to live without my son. His three kids have to live without him. It is bothering me.”
Maurice was Anderson’s oldest son. He was a father of three and was 33 years old when Montgomery killed him.
“That was my first love,” Anderson said about Maurice. “That was the first child that I had to call me mom. He taught me how to love. I was young. I didn’t know, but when I had Maurice, I learned to love and he taught me that. He was loving [and] handsome. Maurice was a hard worker. He went to work every day. He took his baby back-and-forth to day care.”
Montgomery went to trial at the beginning of April. He was ultimately convicted of several charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, armed robbery and armed kidnapping.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said Montgomery and his two cousins, Odale and Orial Baker, who were brothers, were all involved in the quadruple shooting back in October 2020.
Detectives say they went inside a house in Arlington Hills.
Eventually, a fight started. JSO said Montgomery pulled out a gun and just started shooting.
Police said that, in that process, Montgomery shot and killed Anderson, wounded two others, who survived, and shot Orial.
Later that night, officers said, they found Orial in a parking lot about 8 miles away in the Brentwood neighborhood.
First responders took him to a hospital, where he died.
Police arrested Montgomery and Odale Baker in March 2022.
“I’m wanting Latroy Montgomery to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Kim Anderson said. “So another family won’t go through what we have been through in these last five years.”
Anderson said Maurice did not know the three men, but was friends with one of the other victims who was shot.
According to court records, Odale Baker served time in prison for attempted murder previously, while Montgomery spent time in prison in the past for robbery.
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