Joseph Mitchel Cardella

Joseph Mitchel Cardella, a 19-year-old White man from Melbourne, Florida, was a best friend to Logan James Thompson, also 19. On the afternoon of March 11, 2024, the two young men drove together from their homes in Brevard County into neighboring Indian River County in Cardella's Chrysler.

They arrived in the Vero Lake Estates community for what was supposed to be a transaction to sell 1,300 THC vape pens for approximately $3,000. At around 3 p.m., a resident called 911 after hearing loud noises and seeing a person lying in a yard. First responders arrived at the scene on 105th Court and found both Cardella and Thompson had been fatally shot. Cardella was found in the yard, having apparently tried to run from the vehicle before collapsing. Thompson was found dead on the road in front of the car. Investigators noted that about $1,000 in cash was scattered on the ground, but no weapons were found on the victims or in their vehicle. The sheriff later remarked, “These two guys are dead over vape pens. It’s crazy.”

The investigation moved swiftly thanks to a key witness who was present at the shooting. After the incident, the witness went home and told his parents what happened, and they immediately brought him to the sheriff's office. He gave detectives a detailed account of the shooting and told them where the shooter had disposed of the gun. A K-9 unit found the 9mm handgun with an extended magazine in the woods within minutes.

Within 12 hours of the shooting, police arrested 17-year-old Jaime C. Mosqueda of Fellsmere. He was charged with two counts of murder without premeditation. Mosqueda claimed he had acted in self-defense, but investigators said his story fell apart quickly, given that the victims were unarmed. A week later, authorities made a second arrest. The cooperating witness, 16-year-old John Govea, was also taken into custody and charged with two counts of third-degree murder and two counts of accessory after the fact.

Both suspects were ultimately convicted for their roles in the deaths of Joseph Cardella and Logan Thompson. Jaime Mosqueda was sentenced to serve 40 years in prison. John Govea, though tried in adult court, was adjudicated as a "youthful offender" and received a sentence of four years in prison. With the conclusion of the legal proceedings, the case is now closed.