Press Release

Andrew A. Bain

STATE ATTORNEY

NINTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, FLORIDA

M. Ryan Williams​

CHIEF ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY​

Jamie McManus

DEPUTY CHIEF ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY

Kamilah Perry

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GENERAL COUNSEL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Public Information Office

415 N. Orange Ave

Orlando, FL 32801

pio@sao9.org

sao9th.com

Man Found Guilty of Murdering Wife Outside Her Job

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County jury found Sylvester Ofori, 39, guilty of First Degree Murder with a Firearm after he shot and killed his wife in front of her job in 2020.

On the morning of September 8, 2020, Barbara Tommey arrived at work at Navy Federal Credit Union on Gardens Park Boulevard in Orlando. When Ms. Tommey exited the building to move her car her estranged husband approached her. The victim attempted to run back inside but Ofori shot and killed her, then fled the scene.

Multiple credit union employees and customers witnessed the shooting. Credit union officials provided Orlando Police detectives with surveillance video. Ofori was seen on video arriving at the credit union and parking his vehicle. He was caught on camera following Ms. Tommey as she ran away from him. The video showed Ms. Tommey frantically knocking on the credit union door and Ofori pistol-whipping and shooting her. He shot her three more times after she fell to the ground.

Orlando Police Department detectives spoke with Ms. Tommey’s family members and co-workers, who verified previous domestic violence incidents between the couple and their recent separation. They also said Ofori threatened to kill the victim two days before the shooting. They positively identified Ofori on the surveillance video. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant and arrested Ofori at his apartment.

During the trial, nearly a dozen people testified for the State, including the victim’s brother, credit union employees and patrons who witnessed the murder while waiting for the business to open.

After a three-day trial, the jury found Ofori guilty as charged for First Degree Murder with a Firearm. The judge sentenced him to life in prison. Ofori also has a minimum mandatory 25 years to life sentence for using a firearm.

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