LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a 2015 murder that remained unsolved for years until a cold case investigation led to his arrest.
Sunni Rasshad Jahbari entered a plea to all charges just after 9 p.m. as jurors were deliberating his case. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on each count to run concurrently.
He pleaded guilty to econd degree murder with a firearm, robbery with a firearm resulting in death or great bodily harm, human trafficking for commercial sexual activity with a minor, and sexual battery when the victim was incapacitated with multiple perpetrators. He was also designated a sexual predator.
THE CRIME:
The case began in 2015 when prosecutors say human remains were found in a car that had been set on fire in a remote area of Lehigh Acres. An autopsy revealed the victim had been shot.
According to the investigation, the homicide victim responded to a "Backpage" ad for a 16-year-old girl who was being trafficked and sexually battered by Jahbari. When the victim arrived to meet the girl from the ad posted by Jahbari, prosecutors say Jahbari attempted to rob him.
During the victim's attempt to resist the robbery, Jahbari shot and killed him.
Following the shooting, prosecutors say Jahbari and his accomplices placed the homicide victim's body in his car and set the car on fire to destroy evidence, including the body. However, the medical examiner was able to identify the victim.
THE INVESTIGATION:
An extensive investigation led to Jahbari being identified as the killer. He was arrested in December 2022 in Los Angeles.
Based on the investigation, cell phone records, and cell phones collected from Jahbari and his accomplices, detectives were able to identify the human trafficking victim and build a case.
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