Isaiah Greene, right, Gabrielle Bolton, left. (Victim’s photo from the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida; Mug shot from Jacksonville County Sheriff’s Office)
A teen who struck his girlfriend with a metal object after an argument in the bathroom of a Florida home before dragging her body to the bedroom and covering her in a shower curtain and towel was sentenced to 50 years in prison for her murder.
Isaiah Greene learned his fate this week in the killing of 18-year-old Gabrielle Bolton. He pleaded guilty in the case in August, prosecutors said in a news release.
An affidavit obtained by Law&Crime outlined the Sept. 19, 2022, case when police found Bolton dead in the back bedroom of a home in the 1500 block of West 33rd Street. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office patrol units went to the location to assist Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. Once there, rescue personnel told police that an unknown Black male had run away when they got there, and there was a dead female inside with “noticeable foul play involved.”
Patrol units spoke with Greene’s mother, who said her son lived at the address with Bolton, his girlfriend. The mom said her son called her around 7:30 that morning, saying, “She’s lying and cheating on me” and “I didn’t mean to do it,” the affidavit said.
She said her son was going to kill himself.
The landlord told police he had been renting a room to the young couple for about 3½ weeks. He said he’d been staying with his girlfriend elsewhere when Greene texted him at 9:25 that morning, saying, “Don’t bring anyone here today. Call me asap.”
He said that when he arrived at the house, Greene was outside talking with his mother on the front step. He said he went inside the house to gather bill information, then left. He said when he returned, Greene was still outside with his mother.
He said he heard Greene say, “I don’t know what happened, maybe she slipped and fell.”
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His mom called for emergency services. When first responders arrived, Greene fled, the affidavit said.
An officer found Greene nearby and took him into custody.
At the station, he told a detective he had been dating Bolton for about a year, and their relationship was “both physically and mentally abusive.”
“He stated on this date they got into an argument about her being on FaceTime with male (identity unknown),” the affidavit said. “He stated during the argument the victim was still in the shower.”
What he said next is unclear, as the next section of the affidavit was redacted. Afterward, he was booked into jail.
Bolton’s family was crushed. A vigil was held for the young woman who had plans to join the military and who aspired to be a District Attorney, her family said, local station WJXT reported.
“She wasn’t shy at all. If she had something to say. She lets you know whether it be good, bad or otherwise,” said Bolton’s mother at a candlelight vigil. “She was very strong-willed. Very intelligent.”
Greene’s public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Law&Crime.
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