- March 5, 2025
Erick Elon Niemi may face the death penalty when he goes to trial for the death of Leonard Lynn, his landlord. A grand jury decided on June 18 to try Niemi for first-degree murder.
Such a charge requires that the slaying was premeditated. First-degree murder is a capital felony, and as such, requires approval by a grand jury, which consists of between 15 and 21 jurors. The jury met in a closed courtroom to decide on which charges to raise against Niemi.
Niemi was previously being held in the Flagler County Inmate Facility on charges of second-degree murder, which does not require premeditation and does not carry a potential death sentence.
Niemi was arrested shortly after Lynn was found dead in his home on June 1. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death blunt force trauma. Niemi rented a room from Lynn’s house, and he was later found sitting in Lynn’s car, which was parked on a residential street in Palm Coast. He is also charged with grand theft for taking Lynn's vehicle.
Niemi confessed to killing Lynn when he was questioned by deputies. However, such a confession is not official unless heard in court and does not exempt him from the right to trial, so his case will move forward and will be heard by a grand jury. No hearing dates have yet been scheduled.
Read more about this case here.
