2nd man gets life in prison for drug-ripoff killing in Daytona Beach

A second man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a marijuana dealer four years ago during a robbery at a beachside motel in Daytona Beach.

Taylor Holcomb-Barber, 32, was found guilty of first-degree murder after a jury trial for killing Jeffrey Schusky , 34. Circuit Judge Karen Foxman sentenced Holcomb-Barber to the mandatory life in prison after the verdict was reached Friday.

Holcomb-Barber’s co-defendant, Tarek Mneimne, 37, is already serving a life prison term after he was convicted of first-degree felony murder in the same killing.

Schusky was dealing marijuana and related products, such as marijuana edibles, out of Room 7 at the Happy Holiday Motel at 1617 N. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach.

Mneimne was a friend of Schusky’s and was visiting him the night of Jan. 18, 2020, Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones said during his trial. Trigones prosecuted both men.

Mneimne left the room and picked up Holcomb-Barber in Ormond Beach. The two men then drove back to the Happy Holiday.

Holcomb-Barber climbed into Schusky’s room through a back window. Holcomb-Barber then struggled with Schusky before shooting him.

Holcomb-Barber grabbed two duffle bags' worth of drugs, climbed out the back window and fled with Mneimne.

But Holcomb-Barber dropped his cellphone as he fled. Investigators found it along with another cellphone outside near the back window.

Schusky died at the scene.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 2nd man gets life in prison for drug-ripoff killing in Daytona Beach