In August of 2009 Tony Curtis Phillips, Jr. and Nikki McCormick stole a Land Cruiser from a Winter Haven grove. As they were driving away in the SUV, the owner of the truck fired a 9mm pistol hitting McCormick in the head and killing the 21-year-old. The man who shot McCormick was justified according to prosecutors but his accomplice was guilty of third-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Polk County judge.
According to an Associated Press article, if a person dies while another is committing a felony in Florida, the law states the individual committing that crime can be charged with murder. This law should be used to protect innocent people who are killed while someone commits a felony even if their intent was not to kill anyone, but should that law extend to a willing participant in the criminal act? Is McCormick responsible for the death of his partner in crime who willingly decided of his free will to steal a car? Seems like this law may have been expanded too far.