Pensacola man found guilty in love triangle murder; sentenced to life

A jury rejected a man's claims that he shot his ex-girlfriend's new partner in self-defense and found him guilty of murder following a two-day trial in Pensacola.

After just over an hour of deliberations, an Escambia County jury returned to the courtroom Friday afternoon and determined Pensacola man Brandian Lyons murdered Larry Gross in 2021.

After the jury found Lyons guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm, Circuit Judge John Simon promptly sentenced Lyons to life in state prison for Gross's July 10, 2021, death.

"Frankly, when we leave here today, there is one individual who is not on this earth and has not been on this earth, and that's Mr. Gross," Simon told Lyons just before he announced the life sentence, "and a jury found you responsible for that death."

Trial begins:Fatal love triangle: Was Pensacola shooting self-defense or jealousy? Jury to decide.

The original story:Pensacola man accused of shooting and killing a man Saturday outside Escambia County home

What did Brandian Lyons do on July 10, 2021?

Lyons fatally shot Gross at the home of his former girlfriend, Yvette Jones, on July 10, 2021. Lyons and Jones broke off a relationship a few weeks prior, but Lyons still resided at Jones' home. Lyons was upset that Jones was in a relationship with Gross.

In the days before the shooting, Lyons reportedly sent Jones numerous text messages where he seemingly threatened to kill Gross.

"Don't bring that (obscenity) to the house tonight, I swear," one of the many text messages said. "I'm coming. I don't care. I'm about to war tonight.

"My pain runs so deep knowing you love that (obscenity) over me. I really gotta make peace with myself," Lyons reportedly wrote. "I'll kill that boy, for real for real."

According to attorneys, Gross had just returned to Jones' home after they spent the evening out. When he arrived, Jones and Lyons were on the front porch talking.

Footage from a surveillance camera across the street from the home shows Gross walk up to the porch where the two individuals were talking, but the footage cuts out before the shooting.

Why did Brandian Lyons' attorney say this case was self-defense?

Lyons' defense team made the case that despite his threats, Gross had been the aggressor leading up to the shooting.

David Sellers, Lyons' attorney, said his client was defending himself that night because Gross pulled a gun from his pocket, which prompted Lyons to shoot in self-defense.

"Have you maintained your innocence in shooting Mr. Gross?" Sellers asked of Lyons, who took the witness stand Friday morning.

"Yes," he replied, "because he pulled a gun on me."

Still, Jones and her niece both said they never saw Gross pull out a gun prior to Lyons firing the fatal shots.

Sellers also tried to explain away Lyon's text threats as empty bravado. He said although there were over 100 text messages between Lyons and Jones saying he would kill himself or Gross, Sellers said the former couple would often speak to each other that way.

"Those texts, as his girlfriend said, 'It's just Brandian being Brandian, running his mouth,'" Sellers told the jury during his closing statement. "'He's said all of that a thousand times before.' That's what she said."

Nonetheless, after hearing the evidence Thursday and Friday jurors spent just a little over an hour discussing the case before finding Lyons guilty.

What did Larry Gross's sisters tell the court after the verdict?

After Judge Simon excused the jury, Assistant State Attorney Matt Gordon called Gross' sister Erica to the podium to tell the court her thoughts on sentencing.

"What would you like Judge Simon to consider?" Gordon asked Erica.

"The maximum sentence," she said as she turned and walked back to her seat.

Another of Gross' sisters, Angela Crosby, also took to the podium and requested Simon give Lyons a life sentence in prison.

"This really impacted our lives, and I'm glad justice has been served," Crosby said. "Now we can move on with our lives."