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Man convicted of killing pregnant teen sentenced to 40 years in prison
Aaron Mesmer reports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Pinellas County man who killed a 17-year-old girl who was pregnant with their child in 2012 was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in prison.
As part of a plea agreement, Jacobee Flowers could have spent 25 years behind bars if investigators were able to locate Morgan Martin's remains before the sentencing. That didn't happen and, as a result, Flowers received the longer sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, Morgan's mother, Leah Martin, confronted her daughter's killer for the first time in nearly 10 years.
"She was my child. She was my daughter, and she was so good-hearted," Martin said, her emotions ranging from uncontrollable grief to rage directed at Flowers. "I hope that every day that you sleep, you have to see her. Do you understand me? I hope you see her face, and the child that you killed. You didn't only kill my child, you killed your own! You're worthless!"
Earlier this month, Flowers directed authorities to the location in Alabama where he said he buried Morgan. Investigators searched the area for several days, but found nothing. They returned this week, accompanied by Flowers, but were again unable to locate Morgan's remains.
As Flowers entered the courtroom Thursday, he appeared to be smiling and blew a kiss toward his loved ones.
"There's not a day that goes by in the last 10 years that haven't felt the deepest level of regret and remorse for my actions," Flowers said from the witness stand.
Investigators said text messages between Morgan and Flowers revealed a troubled relationship. According to detectives, he begged her not to have the baby because he was in another relationship. One night, Morgan left her home and never returned.
Leah Martin appeared to feel some relief after finally getting to tell Flowers how she's been feeling for nearly a decade.
"It was good for him to know that I'll never forgive him," Martin said. "He showed no grief. He doesn't care. Forty years wasn't enough. But then again, a million years wouldn't have been enough for me."
Flowers was arrested in 2016. Factoring in time served, he'll spend the next 34 years in prison.