Opening statements begin in Tampa trial of teen charged in 14-year-old's murder

Opening statements begin in Tampa trial of teen charged in 14-year-old’s murder

Opening statements began Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Jahmir Moore, who's accused of shooting and killing 14-year-old Jevario Buie in Tampa.

admin September 2, 2026 2 minutes read

TAMPA, Fla. – Opening statements began Tuesday morning in the murder trial of Jahmir Moore, who’s accused of shooting and killing 14-year-old Jevario Buie in Tampa.

Moore was 15 years old at the time of the shooting.

Tampa Teen Murder Trial

What we know:

Police found Buie’s body near railroad tracks between Busch Boulevard and Rome Avenue in April 2024.

Home security video showed Buie walking with two other people just minutes before he was shot.

Courtesy: Tampa Police Department

It took investigators about eight months to make an arrest.

Officers arrested Moore in late 2024, but he escaped custody four days later and has remained in jail since.

Moore was identified as one of the people in the surveillance video. When Moore was arrested, prosecutors indicated plans to try him as an adult.

Evidence And Defense Arguments

What they’re saying:

During opening statements Tuesday morning, the defense argued the shooting stemmed from an ongoing conflict between a group of boys.

Moore’s attorney said there was a shooting a month earlier involving some of those boys, but that nobody was shot.

Defense attorney Scott Sinardi told the court the incident was not premeditated.

“This was an act that was decided within seconds,” Sinardi said. “Jahmir felt, ‘Is this happening again? Am I being shot at again?’ And you’ll hear testimony from the medical examiner that this wasn’t an execution shot. It’s not like Jahmir walked up to Jevario and shot him in the back of the head.”

Witness Testimony

Dig deeper:

Witness testimony began on Tuesday with the state calling law enforcement officers who investigated the case and a teen who was very close with Buie.

Courtesy: Tampa Police Department

The prosecutor asked him about the events leading up to the shooting.

“Did you say, ‘Come to us’, because you were trying to lure him to some secluded location?” the prosecutor asked the teen. “‘No’. Okay, why did you say, ‘Come to us’? ‘Because it was too hot to walk anywhere.'”