PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —A man convicted of killing a St. Lucie County deputy during a 2013 traffic stop has been resentenced to death after a years-long legal battle, WPTV reported.
Circuit Court Judge Lawrence Mirman reaffirmed the death sentence for Eriese Alfonso Tisdale on March 10, marking the second time he has received the penalty for the fatal shooting of Sgt. Gary Morales, according to the report.
Legal delays and final ruling
Tisdale was originally sentenced to death in 2016, but the ruling was overturned on appeal due to changes in Florida’s death penalty laws. In September 2024, a jury voted 9-3 in favor of execution, and Mirman finalized the decision after weighing aggravating and mitigating factors.
“The court finds the defendant’s tears when he was speaking to his retained expert were crocodile tears,” Mirman said in his ruling.
After the sentencing, Tisdale attempted to speak, criticizing the judge for mispronouncing his name as he was led out of the courtroom, according to the report.
Impact on the victim’s family and law enforcement
Morales, who was married with two young children, was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop. His brother, Ken Morales, expressed relief that the sentencing process had concluded.
“We’re just glad it’s over,” he said. “Whether it was the death penalty or life in prison, we’re just glad he’s not coming out.”
State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl apologized to the family for the prolonged legal process, calling it an “unnecessary, torturous delay,” according to the report.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro, who trained with Morales, said the case deeply impacted the law enforcement community.
The case will be automatically appealed to the Florida Supreme Court, but Del Toro said he hopes to have Tisdale transferred soon to Starke State Prison, according to the report.
