MIAMI – In a shock verdict, a Miami-Dade jury found Gayle Blount not guilty of attempted first-degree murder in the May 21, 2021 shooting of his ex-fiancée in Miami Gardens.
Blount, 55, was also found not guilty of shooting a deadly missile.
During his trial, Blount admitted to firing his gun multiple times at Bridget Knighton inside an apartment but claimed he shot her out of fear.
On Tuesday, Knighton testified that Blount showed up at her Miami Gardens apartment despite a restraining order that prohibited him from contacting her. She said it was the third time that day he had shown up uninvited.
Blount was originally set to plead guilty to attempted murder and accept a 20-year prison sentence.
However, after hearing Knighton’s detailed testimony, the judge determined that the plea deal was not sufficient given the severity of the crime. The judge ruled that Blount’s actions warranted a trial, and the case proceeded to court.
Knighton was distraught over Friday’s verdict.
“My body has changed forever. Forever,” she said through tears. “This is why women can’t come forward. The system (doesn’t) have your back. It’s awful.”
Blount’s attorney, Matthew Rogoff said “justice was served.”
“The jury heard the truth and they sided with the truth and because of that, now, Mr. Blount is a free man, rightfully so,” he said.
In a statement, Ed Griffith, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, said in a statement that while prosecutors were “disappointed” with the jury’s acquittal, “we respect their thoughtful decision knowing that they had thoughtfully weighed all the evidence and heard all the testimony, before arriving at their verdict.”
Blount was not leaving a free man.
He faces a misdemeanor count of battery in Broward County, where Knighton was also the alleged victim.
His attorneys, however, expect him to get credit for time served.
Friday’s acquittal has now struck fear into Knighton.
“In my heart, I know he’s gonna come back to finish what he started,” she said. “That’s my fear.”