Lake City man sentenced to 50 years in prison for Gainesville home invasion robbery that left victim paralyzed

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kob’ie Trevellus Jaman Archer, 23, of Lake City, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison after entering an open plea to armed home invasion robbery and attempted felony murder.

Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers responded at 9:16 p.m. on June 27 to a report of a shooting at The Enclave and found a man who had been shot; his son was apparently the intended victim of a home invasion robbery. The son told police that one of the suspects had come over earlier in the evening to smoke marijuana with him, and when he left, he let three armed subjects into the apartment. The son reportedly said that one of them hit him in the back of the head with a pistol, then dragged him into his bedroom and told him to hand over his cash. He told officers that the subjects stole about $2,000 in cash from him while holding him at gunpoint. The officer reported that a large amount of marijuana, white powder, and other drug paraphernalia were present in the apartment.

The first victim’s father, later identified as Adam Christmas, Sr., had been asleep in his room but ran into his son’s room when he heard the disturbance, and one of the intruders shot him in the back. The officer reported that doctors said the bullet severed the man’s spinal cord and that he is expected to be paralyzed from the neck down. The subjects fled the apartment after the shooting.

GPD’s investigation determined that Archer was the suspect who shot Christmas. On June 24, 2024, during the second day of his trial, Archer entered an open plea.

Judge Sean Brewer presided over the sentencing hearing. Archer was sentenced to 50 years with 25 years minimum mandatory for home invasion robbery with great bodily harm and 30 years with 25 minimum mandatory for attempted felony murder with great bodily harm, to be served concurrently in the Florida Department of Corrections.

Assistant State Attorney David Margulies led the prosecution team.

Cedric Cohens II and Rahzon Tee-Yon Fennell-Demeritte have already been sentenced in this case and are currently in the Florida Department of Correction. Freezell William Lamar Rowe will be sentenced on July 23, 2024, by the Honorable Jude David Kreider.

Article on Cohen’s arrest

Article on Archer’s arrest

Article on Fennell-Demeritte’s arrest

Article on Rowe’s arrest