A man walked onto a bus, then went up to the driver and said, “God bless you.” He then slit the throat of the innocent victim.
The why remains a question, but there is no question the killer will now spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Last month, a Florida judge sentenced Justin McGriff to life in prison for killing Thomas Dunn. He was previously convicted of first-degree murder.
On May 18, 2019, McGriff boarded a Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority bus in the Tampa , Florida, area. McGriff had a weapon hidden in his right hand, according to WTSP. McGriff then twice told Dunn, “God bless you” before slitting his throat.
During his trial, defense attorneys tried to claim Dunn was insane, WTSP noted. They said they didn’t know what he was doing during the incident or the consequences. Defense experts claimed McGriff suffered from schizophrenia.
McGriff believed someone was out to kill him and the government was watching him, according to WTSP.
However, prosecutors contended McGriff knew enough about his whereabouts and had an intent to kill. The killer was found competent to stand trial.
During the sentencing hearing, Dunn’s brother, Michael Dunn, tearfully spoke about how the pain hadn’t eased in three years, according to WTVT.
“Knowing that his kids have to grow up without him is probably the hardest part. I miss him every day,” Michael Dunn said.
Judge Christopher Sabella also had strong words for McGriff before he sentenced McGriff to the mandatory life sentence.
“The common thread in all of these cases is a clear mental health issue, an underlying mental health issue that was there before some innocent person had to lose their life. The innocent person today is Thomas Dunn, and it is sad,” Sabella said. It’s sad that our system of mental health has failed us.”
* story by frontpagedetectives.com
