Lloyd Preston Brewer III, a 60-year-old Key West businessman, was convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting 21-year-old Garrett Hughes in February 2023 outside Conch Town Liquor & Lounge, where Brewer owned the strip mall. The incident stemmed from Brewer confronting the shirtless, intoxicated Hughes for urinating on the building’s side, leading to an altercation captured on grainy surveillance footage. Brewer faces life in prison without parole, with sentencing set for February 26 before Judge Mark Jones.
Incident Details
The shooting occurred on Super Bowl Sunday after both men had been drinking at the bar, which later closed permanently. Footage shows Brewer advancing on Hughes, who was stumbling unarmed, before Brewer assumed a two-handed “shooting stance,” drew his firearm from his waistband, and fired two shots—one striking Hughes in the abdomen, causing his death in a nearby alley. Police reports noted Brewer’s deliberate posture, contradicting his self-defense claim that Hughes aggressively approached him in the parking lot.
Legal Proceedings
Initially arrested for second-degree murder, Brewer was indicted on the first-degree charge in June 2023; a 2025 appeals court rejected his self-defense immunity bid. At trial, prosecutors used video, eyewitness accounts, and Brewer’s inconsistent 911 call—where he admitted shooting an unknown man—to prove premeditation, while his defense called no witnesses. Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield emphasized the jury rejected Brewer’s account, labeling it a deliberate escalation.
Key Statements
Prosecutors highlighted the evidence’s clarity: “This case showed a conscious and deliberate decision to escalate a confrontation into deadly violence,” said Assistant State Prosecutor Colleen Dunne, praising witnesses’ courage. Brewer’s 911 audio captured him calmly identifying Hughes and justifying the act over the urination dispute. No manslaughter option was pursued by the defense, focusing solely on self-defense, which failed.
