On November 27, 2023, 21-year-old Cody James Bennett of St. Augustine was found shot to death alongside 22-year-old Tre Devon Lyons in the 500 block of North Orange Street in West St. Augustine, near Webster Elementary School. A citizen reported hearing gunfire around 11:30 p.m.; responding St. Johns County deputies located a vehicle that had crashed into a fence with both men inside, each having succumbed to apparent gunshot injuries.

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office described the incident as isolated. No arrests had been announced and no suspects identified as of this date. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact [email protected] or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).

Bennett had recent legal problems: he was due for sentencing in December 2021 after selling methamphetamine to an undercover officer and had pleaded no contest to an accusation of shooting at someone during a confrontation the prior month. Despite that, ten character letters were submitted on his behalf before sentencing, and he was enrolled in HVAC school, with people in the community describing him as a young man with potential.

Does anyone who knew Cody or Tre have information about that night that could help investigators?