South Carolina Husband Shot Wife Dead and Buried Her in Kentucky, Sentenced 3 Decades in Federal Prison
Fredonia, KY: A man from South Carolina will spend the next 30 years in prison for killing his wife. He allegedly shot her dead and then buried her in a shallow grave. His string of offenses began in South Carolina and ended in Kentucky.
In December 2019, according to the Kentucky State Police, Nicole Florentine reported that her husband, Lawrence Florentine, had physically abused her and had threatened to kill, burn, and bury her on many occasions to the number 911. Two separate domestic violence charges led to Mr. Florentine’s arrest, according to authorities.
Authorities report that a fire in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on May 23, 2020, destroyed the couple’s home. The fire was deliberately set to damage Nicole’s possessions, according to officials, and Mr. Florentine sent angry messages and photos showing that he did it. The state court in South Carolina is now hearing arson allegations.
A groundskeeper at Hill Cemetery in Fredonia, Kentucky reportedly found what looked like a makeshift grave on June 13, 2020, according to authorities. According to officials, Nicole’s partially burned body was retrieved from the grave by officers from the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office and KSP. A gas can was also discovered close to the tomb. According to the results of the autopsy, the victim was shot in the head with a .22-caliber bullet, and the manner of death was homicide.
Read More: Human Remains Discovered by Cops near Charleston amid Missing Person Search in South Carolina
According to KSP, Nicole and Mr. Florentine were seen driving across North and South Carolina in the days preceding the discovery of Nicole’s body in Kentucky. In the moments leading up to the discovery of the body, witnesses said they had seen a car that fit the description of the one Mr. Florentine had driven about the cemetery.
According to a clerk at a nearby hardware store, Mr. Florentine was the customer who bought a gas can and a shovel on June 11, 2020, after ranting about the $21.99 price. A little while later, he was seen nonchalantly filling up the gas can in footage from a neighboring gas station.
In addition, KSP says Mr. Florentine evaded capture until he was apprehended in Denver, Colorado on June 23, 2020. Several pieces of evidence, including the gun he used to kill Nicole, cell phones, identification documents, and more, were allegedly thrown out or hidden at that time as per WBKO News.
At sentencing, prosecutors urged Judge Donald C. Coggins to increase Mr. Florentine’s sentence in light of his numerous acts of obstruction of justice, including his willful attempts to conceal Nicole’s body, which thwarted authorities’ efforts to identify her and apprehend him.
After a lengthy trial, Mr. Florentine received a 30-year federal prison term on several charges, including interstate domestic violence that killed his wife, using a firearm during a violent crime, obstructing justice, and using fire as a weapon in an interstate domestic violence incident. Additionally, he was compelled to pay $5,800 in restitution and was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Because he used fire while committing domestic violence, his punishment included a 10-year consecutive term.
