Jury Finds Whiten Guilty of Armed Burglary, Stalking, Other Crimes

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Clay County jury found Christopher Whiten guilty of Armed Burglary; Shooting or Throwing Deadly Missiles; Grand Theft Auto; two counts of Violation of an Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence; Aggravated Stalking; and Improper Exhibition of a Firearm. With the verdict, Whiten faces up to life in Florida State Prison with a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years. The Honorable Steven Whittington will sentence Whiten at a later date.

The victim and her mother live next to each other, and the victim and her child were staying at the mother’s house for safety. Around 4:30 a.m. May 11, 2023, Whiten went to the victim’s mother’s house and threw a gallon of paint through a bedroom window where the victim and her child slept. The act shattered the window glass and woke them up. Whiten then stole the victim’s car from next door and sped away. Whiten and the victim were married but separated at the time, and the victim told the police Whiten knew how to get into her home and where to find the car keys. During this incident, there were two active Injunctions for Protection Against Domestic Violence in place to protect the victim and her mother from Whiten. The court ordered no contact.

A few hours after the early morning incident, the victim returned home next door and found Whiten armed with a gun hiding inside her closet. He chased her and she ran back to her mother’s house to call 911. Officers responded and took Whiten into custody as he exited the victim’s house.

The case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Cara Devlin and Jamie Cona.