Life in Prison for Man, 83, who Shot US Jeweler Dead
December 04, 24
(IDEX Online) - An 83-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a jewelry store owner in Florida, USA.
Homeless John Willard Craiger pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Ghazi "Gus" Michel Osta with a firearm after an apparent altercation at Volusia Gold and Diamonds, Daytona Beach, in July of this year.
Craiger, a regular customer at the store, also pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder of Osta's son.
According to witness accounts Osta ordered Craiger to leave the store after a disagreement. Craiger then pulled a revolver from his pocket and shot Osta in the head.
Osta's son David shot back at Craiger hitting him in the legs and head and Craiger returned fire at him.
A witness struck Craiger on the back of the head with a statue and managed to wrestle the firearm from him.
Osta, a married father-of-four, moved to the US from Lebanon 38 years ago.
His widow Leigh told The Daytona Beach News-Journal: "I said it in my victim-impact statement and I will repeat for every statement: Craiger is a cowardly useless lowlife and life in prison, leaving in a body bag, is the only justice we could get from this tragedy."
Pic shows John Willard Craiger (courtesy Volusia County Division of Corrections) and Ghazi "Gus" Michel Osta.