Tampa man sentenced to life without parole for fatal shooting of nursing student
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa man will spend the rest of his life in prison, without parole for killing a 21-year-old nursing student in 2021.
Savannah Mathis was driving with her 19-year-old sister near Julian B. Lane Park when she was killed in December 2021.
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Surveillance video showed Vakarvery Scott firing the shots that killed her. His fingerprints were found on the murder weapon.
A Tampa jury found him guilty and on Thursday, he was sentenced for the crime.
Before the sentence was given, the victim’s family shared with the court the impact it’s had on them.
“You took away my safe haven a woman whose dream it was to help people and a woman who brought so much light to people’s lives,” said Nina Mathis.
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She was with her sister the night she was killed, and also suffered a gunshot wound.
“This is on you Vakargery Scott, you’re not the victim, you’re a killer,” said Mathis.
The victim’s mother says she is still struggling to deal with the loss.
“Savannah Mathis will forever be 21. It’s still very hard for me to talk about my daughter in the past tense because she was so young and full and dreams,” said LaMaria Smith.
After listening to the statements, Judge Samantha Ward sentenced Scott to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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Hillsborough County State Attorney Susan Lopez says the sentence will finally bring justice to the family.
“This family has gone through hell for over two years, during this case, their daughter, their granddaughter, their sister, their aunt, was gunned down in a senseless act of gun violence and this community will not tolerate that and so today justice was brought to the Mathis family,” said Lopez.
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