Melissa Webb Guilty of Murdering Boyfriend : Stand Your Ground Defense Falls Short

Melissa Webb

Melissa Webb was found guilty of second degree murder yesterday by a Lee County jury. Her former boyfriend, Bryan Sorrendino, was found dead in the woods in Charlotte County. Over the following weeks, Webb made admissions regarding shooting him to people, and she was charged in the murder. It’s rather unusual for a woman to kill a man, and I am unaware of any history of violence for either she or the victim, though they both have criminal histories, including drug charges.

The Defense argued self-defense, and filed a Stand Your Ground immunity motion. They alleged that Webb felt her life was in danger. They claimed in the motion that Sorrendino pulled the gun on Webb, and he slipped and she was able to get the gun from him. They claimed she only shot him because she was afraid he was going to get his shotgun to kill her. She first made the claim in a motion to dismiss under stand your ground, but the judge found that she didn’t meet her burden and denied the motion. The same defense was used at trial, and the jury didn’t buy it, either. The fact that she took great lengths to hide the body in the woods in another county certainly affected her credibility with the jury. She faces life in prison, and a 25-year minimum sentence under 10/20/Life. She definitely has an appellate issue that there is only circumstantial evidence to rebut her claims of self-defense, as the only other witness is deceased.