Florida Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Shooting Father Multiple Times Over Agonal Breathing

A Florida man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to the second-degree murder of his father. The incident occurred on November 20, 2024, when Garry Charles Bartlett Jr., 29, shot and killed his 69-year-old father, Garry Charles Bartlett Sr., at their home in Jacksonville's Deer Cove neighborhood. According to court documents, the younger Bartlett admitted to firing multiple rounds into his father while he sat on the living room couch late one night.

The shooting was preceded by a history of alleged sexual abuse and verbal threats from the elder Bartlett towards his son. On the day of the incident, Garry Jr. told police that after hearing his father's agonal breathing—described as labored and gasping for air—he became enraged and proceeded to shoot him multiple times. When asked how many shots he fired, Bartlett Jr. stated, "a lot," indicating a prolonged assault.

Following the shooting, Bartlett Jr. left the weapon in a bedroom before waiting several hours before calling 911 to report the incident. During his confession to police, he described feeling relieved that his father had stopped breathing and said he was tired of hearing him breathe. The case has shocked neighbors who knew the family as quiet and unassuming residents.

The sentencing reflects a plea deal in which Bartlett Jr. agreed to a 40-year minimum sentence with the possibility of life imprisonment. Judge Jeb Branham handed down the 45-year sentence, considering the nature and circumstances of the crime, including the elder Bartlett's alleged history of abuse against his son.