Frank Labiento
White male
Age at time: 72
Weapon: gun
Jacqueline Galas
White female
Age at time: 23
Weapon: gun
Defendant photo: Pasco County Sheriff's Office, 2006
Case type:
Unprovoked attack
Location:
Victim's Property
Initiator:
Unclear
Witnesses:
No
Case year:
2006
Location details: Inside victim's home in Port Richey, Pasco County, on June 11, 2006
What happened: Jacqueline Galas, 23, a known prostitute, shot 72-year-old customer Frank Labiento in self-defense after he threatened her with a gun. Labiento was a longtime client of Galas. He threatened to kill her and then himself. Galas told officers she was able to calm Labiento, and he put the .357-caliber handgun on the kitchen table. When the phone rang, Labiento walked over to answer it and Galas picked up the gun. When Labiento began walking toward her, Galas fired one shot at his chest without warning. Investigators found a murder-suicide note.
The outcome: The second-degree murder charge was dropped by the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, the first time prosecutors in Pasco had dropped a murder charge because of the law.
Investigating agency: Pasco County Sheriff
Case decision made by: Prosecutor
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
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|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
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Was the victim armed? |
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Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
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Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
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Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
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Was the defendant on his or her property? |
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Did someone witness the attack? |
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Was there physical evidence? |
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Source: Orlando Sentinel, None.
Source: Tampa Bay Times, July 22, 2006.
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
