Tampa woman faces resentencing in 2004 killing of teenage girl

Resentencing for woman who killed teen in 2004

Laisha Landrum is set to be resentenced on Thursday for the 2004 murder of 16-year-old Emily Clemons. Landrum, who was 15 at the time, was sentenced to life for the brutal crime. FOX 13’s Matthew McClellan reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa woman convicted in the 2004 killing of 16-year-old Emily Clemons is back in court Thursday for a new sentencing hearing, more than 20 years after the brutal crime that shocked the community.

The backstory:

Laisha Landrum was 15 at the time when prosecutors say she repeatedly struck Clemons in the head with metal pans and a radio inside a Tampa apartment. Her co-defendant and then-boyfriend, Rocky Almestica, helped move the body and dump it in a trash bin behind the complex. Clemons died from her injuries.

Both were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.

Pictured: Laisha Landrum and Rocky Almestica.

But a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that mandatory life sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. That decision opened the door for hundreds of resentencing hearings across the country — including Landrum’s and Almestica’s.

On Wednesday, a Hillsborough County judge resentenced Almestica to life in prison. Despite his courtroom apology and claims of personal growth, prosecutors raised concerns about his behavior behind bars, including a 2016 stabbing where Almestica was accused of tampering with evidence.

"I'm taking full responsibility for what I did, being there, knowing what's happening, and not stopping it," Almestica told the court, "And then after the primary offense was committed, I tried to cover it up so that the person who actually committed the primary offense can avoid punishment. That's exactly what I did."

Pictured: Emily Clemons.

Before issuing the sentence, Judge Robin Fuson criticized Almestica for what he described as a lack of true accountability.

"You're still not taking responsibility," Judge Fuson told him. "You want me to think you are, you want this court and these people to think you're taking responsibility when you have avoided responsibility at every step. 'I could have stopped it, but I didn't.' That's the worst you're willing to say."

What's next:

Landrum's resentencing hearing is expected to take longer because of her role as the principal actor in the killing. Prosecutors say she delivered the fatal blows that ended Clemons’ life.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.

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The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Matthew McClellan.

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