Florida Woman Sentenced to Life for Orchestrating Boyfriend’s Murder in “Search and Destroy” Plot

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A 25-year-old Florida woman will spend the rest of her life in prison for orchestrating a violent home invasion that led to the shooting death of her boyfriend, whom prosecutors said she helped target in a “search and destroy mission.”

Life Sentence Without Parole

Alyssa Marie Blackburn was sentenced to life without parole by First Judicial Circuit Judge Amy P. Brodersen on Wednesday for her role in the October 2022 murder of Jesse Geoghagan.

A jury in August found Blackburn guilty of being a principal to second-degree murder, meaning she participated in or encouraged the killing.

The two men who carried out the attack — Jacob Colville and Lawrence Bonner Jr. — have also been convicted.

• Colville, the shooter, was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder in June 2024 and sentenced to life in prison.
• Bonner pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in exchange for cooperating against Blackburn and was sentenced to five years in prison with credit for time served.

The Deadly Ambush

Investigators said Blackburn led Colville and Bonner to Geoghagan’s home on Medford Avenue in Pensacola.

Surveillance video captured Blackburn entering the house with a black semi-automatic handgun, searching the rooms, and then exiting when she couldn’t find Geoghagan.

Moments later, she called Colville, confirming that Geoghagan was inside. Colville re-entered the residence, found Geoghagan hiding in a bedroom closet, and shot him multiple times, killing him instantly.

Prosecutors described the attack as a coordinated execution, with text messages showing Blackburn knew in advance that the men intended to kill her boyfriend.

Victim’s Family Speaks in Court

During sentencing, Geoghagan’s sister, Ashley Arnold, gave an emotional statement to the court.

“Now that he’s gone, everything is different. He was just trying to come home that day, and now he’s sitting on a shelf in my house,” she said. “A whole part of me is gone.”

Family members urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence, which she did.

The case, which stunned the Pensacola community, closes with Blackburn facing life behind bars for planning the deadly ambush. For updates on major court cases and community crime stories, follow ChicagoMusicGuide.com.