Alexander Antonio Nowell, 29, of Avon Park, Florida, was shot and killed on May 9, 2020, during an altercation at The Joint, a bar at 941 S. Delaney Ave. The confrontation, which followed an earlier argument, escalated into gunfire that also wounded two other people at the scene.

The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Detective Du’Wayne Kelly and the Criminal Investigations Unit, working with the State’s Attorney’s District 10 office, arrested and tried Jimmy Lamar Ford Jr. He was convicted of second-degree homicide and firing a weapon in public and was sentenced to life in prison for Nowell’s murder.

The case underlines how quickly disputes can turn deadly and prompted strong local attention. Did anyone know Alexander or have information about tensions at The Joint that night?