MIAMI, FL – In a courthouse showdown in Miami, 74-year-old Omar Rodriguez was sentenced to life imprisonment after a vitriolic outburst toward the widow of the man he was convicted of killing back in 2015. The scene unfolded Thursday when Rodriguez, responding to the widow’s earlier comments, shouted insults and bluntly stated he killed her husband because he was a “coward.”

The conflict between Rodriguez and the deceased, Jose Rey, stemmed from a dispute over Rey’s dog, which Rodriguez believed was being allowed to defecate in his son’s yard. The fatal confrontation occurred during a neighborhood walk in Kendall, Florida, when Rodriguez, who at one point was shirtless, escalated his previously verbal disparagement to deadly violence.

Witnesses recall an argument between the two men that abruptly ended with Rodriguez shooting Rey three times. Despite Rodriguez’s claim of self-defense and invocation of Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, evidence revealed at trial showed no indication Rey was armed, leading to Rodriguez’s conviction on second-degree murder and aggravated assault charges.

The courtroom outburst happened after Lisette Rey, the victim’s wife, implored the judge to impose the harshest sentence possible on Rodriguez. Her plea was met with Rodriguez’s tirade, during which he was swiftly removed by court officers.

Lisette Rey expressed her grief and desire for capital punishment, acknowledging that while Rodriguez would be imprisoned for life, he would still have the privilege of family visits, unlike her husband, who was permanently taken from her.

An investigation into Rodriguez’s past behavior revealed a history of aggressive and menacing conduct towards neighbors, dating back to the early 1990s. Incidents ranged from verbal harassment to threats of violence with a machete. His criminal record includes a guilty plea to battery on a police officer, for which he only received probation.

Life imprisonment for Rodriguez, who has served nine years thus far, was handed down by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch, effectively ensuring that Rodriguez will spend his remaining years behind bars.

Assistant State Attorney Kimberly Rivera emphasized the threat Rodriguez posed to society by presenting a chilling recording in court where he stated he would commit the act again if given the chance. The insistence on Rodriguez’s dangerousness was clear as Rivera sought to secure the life sentence.

The defense counsel for Rodriguez did not provide a comment on the sentencing, leaving the emphasis on the judicial system’s resolute response to a decade-long dispute that turned fatal and the community’s relief at the closure of this vexing case.