On Friday afternoon, a six-person jury found 34-year-old Brenan Hill guilty in the shooting death of Savannah La-Rynn Gonzalez in 2021. Hill now faces at least 25 years in prison for 2nd Degree Murder and two other charges.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Investigative Services Division (ISD) Major Case Unit worked closely with 7th Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza’s Office over the last two years to bring justice for Savannah and her family.
On March 26th, 2021, Hill drove Savannah to a local hospital in the afternoon with a gunshot wound to her head. At the time, Hill claimed a stranger had shot her in his car but soon changed his version of events.
Within hours, FCSO’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), deputies, ISD, and CSI worked together to disprove Hill’s lies and attempt to hide the gun used in the murder of Savannah. Hill later confessed to the crime but claimed it was an accident to Major Case Detective Scalia and was later arrested. Savannah initially survived the shooting, so Hill was arrested for attempted murder but was later indicted for murder after Savannah died in November of 2022.
“Justice was served, and I thank the jury for seeing through the false lies and actions of the defendant. This was great policing and detective work by our team, and I commend them,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Hill lied from the beginning to the end, but our investigative team became the voice of Savannah to get to the truth in this case. I also thank Assistant State Attorney Clark for working closely with us in getting justice for Savannah. While we can’t bring Savannah back, we hope this brings some closure for her family.”
Hill was convicted for 2nd Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery Causing Serious Bodily Injury with a Firearm, and Firing Or Throwing a Deadly Missile Into an Occupied Vehicle. He is facing up to life in prison, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years.
Hill is set to be sentenced on December 1st, 2023, by Circuit Judge Terence Perkins.
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