Bunnell, FL - A man charged with bludgeoning 60-year-old Robert Emmanuel to death in 2017 is sentenced to 25 years in prison this morning (December 13). The State Attorney's Office says 26-year-old Johnnie Spydale Thomas, Jr. pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a weapon in October 2019.
The crime happened on September 15, 2017. Thomas was at Emmanuel's Bunnell home to sell him crack. The men were outside the home for the transaction when they got into a dispute. Emmanuel claimed Thomas had not given him the crack. Thomas said he had given it to him, claiming that Emmanuel dropped it.
Thomas insisted Emmanuel get on his hands and knees to find it. Emmanuel complied, which is when Thomas picked up a tree branch knocked down by the hurricane that was as big around as a baseball bat. A witness said Thomas swung the branch at Emmanuel's head like "a Louisville Slugger."
Emmanuel was in the hospital for two months before succumbing to his injuries on November 16, 2017. The Assistant State Attorney prosecuting the case said, "He literally had the front of his skull removed in order to alleviate the pressure on his brain."
Thomas could have faced up to life in prison on the original charge of second-degree murder. He will be transferred to federal prison to serve his sentence.
