A Florida man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a DoorDash driver had to be restrained and removed from the courtroom after exploding during the reading of his guilty verdict.
Joseph Killins, 41, was convicted in Hillsborough County, Florida, following a trial stemming from a violent series of incidents in April 2023.
The jury reportedly needed less than 30 minutes to reach its verdict, finding Killins guilty on all of the charges presented in the case.
The courtroom became chaotic immediately after the verdict was announced.
According to courtroom coverage, Killins became agitated and began shouting that the victim was lying. Judge Lyann Goudie ordered him to sit down, but deputies quickly moved in to restrain him as his outburst continued.
The judge ultimately ordered Killins to be taken to a holding cell, clearing him from the courtroom as the proceedings continued. Killins later watched part of the proceedings remotely.
The conviction stems from an April 18, 2023 incident involving a 20-year-old DoorDash driver who was delivering a pizza in Tampa.
Prosecutors said Killins confronted the woman while she was making the delivery and held her at gunpoint. Investigators said he then forced her into her vehicle and made her drive around an apartment complex for an extended period of time.
The victim testified that Killins sexually assaulted her while threatening her with a firearm.
During the trial, Killins took the witness stand in his own defense and offered a completely different version of what happened. He claimed he knew the woman and had previously been involved with her romantically.
Killins maintained that the encounter was consensual and denied kidnapping or sexually assaulting the victim.
However, prosecutors challenged his story during cross-examination. At one point, Killins acknowledged that he physically forced the victim during the sexual encounter, despite repeatedly maintaining that he had not forced her to do anything.
The case became even more serious when the victim’s girlfriend and her twin sister attempted to locate and rescue her.
According to testimony presented at trial, the victim had been communicating with her girlfriend during the incident. Her girlfriend was eventually able to track the victim’s location and went to the apartment complex with her twin sister.
Prosecutors said the women confronted Killins, who opened fire. The girlfriend’s twin sister was struck in the head.
Killins offered another version of that confrontation while testifying, claiming he was actually the one being attacked and that the women had arrived with a firearm.
The jury ultimately rejected his account.
Killins was also convicted for a separate robbery involving another woman at the same apartment complex the following day. Prosecutors said he attacked the woman and stole her backpack.
After deliberating for roughly 20 minutes, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts. Killins was convicted of offenses including armed kidnapping, sexual battery with a deadly weapon, attempted first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The sentence was just as serious.
Killins received four life sentences in prison, including life terms for armed kidnapping, sexual battery with a deadly weapon, robbery with a firearm and attempted first-degree murder. He also received 15 years for the remaining robbery and felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions.
The three victims testified during the trial and were present in court for Killins’ sentencing.
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez praised the victims for having the courage to come forward and testify throughout the lengthy legal process.
The case has now ended with Killins facing the rest of his life behind bars.
The dramatic courtroom footage of Killins being restrained after the verdict has also circulated online, showing the moment deputies intervened as he protested the jury’s decision.
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