


The suspect accused of killing a man and dumping his carpet-wrapped body at a Naples Park home in October was found guilty of second-degree murder and 12 other charges at a Sarasota courthouse Tuesday. 

Daniel Davenport, 31, of Sarasota, was found guilty of killing Sergio Hostins, 55, of Sarasota, as well as grand theft of a motor vehicle, 10 counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information and unlawful possession of four or fewer identities. 

Davenport's sentencing was deferred by 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Stephen Walker, pending a presentence investigation. A date for Davenport's sentencing has not been set. 

Jurors began deliberating after closing arguments finished around 1:20 p.m. and reached a verdict around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Davenport represented himself during the trial and took only eight minutes to present his closing argument.

"The idea that I would take my friend's life is just,” Davenport said while shaking head and trailing off. "I may not be the smartest man, but I am not a killer. I am confident this trial has shown you that from the evidence presented." 

Davenport, dressed in a gray suit with a blue shirt, took long pauses and slumped into the podium to read his notes while speaking to jurors during his closing argument.

Assistant State Attorney Kennedy Brandon Legler used 52 minutes for the prosecutor’s first portion of closing argument. In contrast to Davenport, Legler used slides and photos while speaking to jurors.  

"I am confident if you use your common sense, you weight the evidence in this case and do not speculate, you will return a verdict of guilty as charged on all counts,” Legler said.  

Previously: Murder suspect with ties to Naples Park representing himself as trial begins in Sarasota

Tracing a crime: Sarasota man slain; body found in Naples Park; suspect arrested in Orlando

Hostins was strangled, stripped, then wrapped in a comforter, trash bags, insulation, more carpet and duct-taped shut before he was stuffed in the back of his car and driven around for a few days, Legler said

Hostins was then dumped at a home in Naples to bake in the hot sun, Legler said.   

In September of 2018, Hostins and Davenport met on a social media app for gay men, called Grindr.  They developed a casual dating relationship, Legler told the jurors.   

More: Fugitive suspect captured in Orlando, accused of killing man found in Naples Park

Hostins failed to show up for work as a waiter at an Italian restaurant on Oct. 3, Legler said. 

From around that date until Davenport’s arrest on Oct. 19, Davenport was spotted multiple times driving Hostins’ car and using Hostins’ debit and credit cards throughout Florida, Legler said.   

A man, who hired Davenport for tree removal services at homes in Cape Coral and Naples, took notice of a rolled-up carpet in the back of Hostins' green Subaru Forester Davenport was driving on Oct. 7, Legler said.   

Evidence in the trial showed Hostins’ body was found the morning of Oct. 9, by contractors who came to work on renovating a home, Legler said. 

The home was in the 700 block of 102nd Avenue North in Naples Park and was the same home Davenport was hired to remove trees from, Legler said.   

Fingerprints on trash bags and pieces of insulation that wrapped Hostins’ body matched Davenport’s, the prosecutor said.  

Previously: Suspect in death of man found at Naples Park home spotted in Orlando

In early April, a judge approved Davenport’s motion to represent himself. 

Assistant Public Defender Gino Lombardi sat next to Davenport during the trial as his stand-by counsel and Davenport was required to stay within the boundaries of black duct tape on the carpet of courtroom when talking to the jury or questioning witnesses. 

During his opening statement last week, Davenport admitted to having a romantic relationship with Hostins.   

“The evidence will show you that like most romantic relationships the alleged victim would let the defendant use his credit cards as well as loan him his car periodically,” he said.   

Davenport began his closing argument Tuesday by thanking the jurors then talking about events that occurred during World War II, such as the U.S. dropping a nuclear bomb on Japan and the attack on Pearl Harbor.  

"Jurors when a story is presented, no matter how implausible it may seem on its face, one has no choice but to acknowledge that crazy events happen and nothing can be ruled out,” Davenport said. “Jury members, my friend Sergio Hostins was not murdered.”  

The investigation into Hostins’ death was “complacent,” Davenport said.  

“After two days they thought they had their guy and they thought it was case closed,” Davenport said. “There is no direct evidence that even proves Sergio Hostins was murdered, much less that I was responsible.” 

During the second portion of the prosecutor’s closing argument, Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig used about 30 minutes and argued Davenport was conscious of his own guilt after killing Hostins.  

That explains why Davenport fled to Tampa then Orlando, shaved his head and beard, gave his cell phone away to a homeless man at McDonald’s and changed the license plate on a rental vehicle he purchased using Hostins’ credit card, Fraivillig said.  

All of the actions Davenport took after Hostins’ death were to evade law enforcement officers because he knew he was guilty, Fraivillig said.  

"Hold him accountable for what he did to Sergio Hostins before he discarded his body like a piece of garbage in Naples,” Fraivillig told the jurors.  

The trial was held at the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center. 

Previously: Detectives identify man found dead in Naples Park home, manhunt underway

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