JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The man convicted of killing Jacksonville radio host Tasheka Young was sentenced to life in prison.
Bursey Armstrong, 35, was found guilty on two counts of second-degree murder earlier this month for Young's and her unborn child's deaths.
Young had previously worked as a broadcaster for Jacksonville's Power 106.1 Tru Hip Hop station. She was known as "Tysheeks" in the Jacksonville community.
Armstrong had a history of being violent with Young. At the time of her death, her mother told police Armstrong held a gun to Young's head two weeks before he killed her.
An arrest warrant states that Young’s mother, Olivia Young, was the one to find her unresponsive and bloody while the victim's 1-year-old and 3-year-old children were inside the residence. She told police the door appeared to have been kicked in.
On Thursday, she called the shooting "life-altering" and said her daughter was a gift from God.
"Now I raise my two grandchildren as my own," Olivia Young said in court Thursday. Toward the end of Young's statement, Armstrong spoke out in court, prompting the Judge Tatiana Salvador to briefly pause proceedings.
Salvador later said Armstrong, with no criminal record, was unlike many defendants in the courtroom.
"You killed the mother of your children. You killed your unborn child ... (your children) don't have that mother and father to raise them."
The victim’s mother told police at the time that she spoke to her daughter daily and she was not able to reach her. Olivia Young became more concerned when she was called by Armstrong, the victim’s children’s father, who said he was also unable to reach the victim.
A road worker later testified that Young’s phone was found on the side of the road.
An arrest warrant stated that officers responded to 12450 Biscayne Blvd. after a 911 call, where the complainant found Young lying on the bedroom floor bloody and unresponsive.
“Tasheka was standing there with me and saying, 'Mama, you’ve got to stay strong and say what you’ve got to say,' and that’s what I did," Olivia Young testified at the trial.
While the trial focused on Armstrong, Young’s family wanted to focus on her legacy.
“Whatever she could do for you, she would do it," said Olivia Young. "If you were in need for something, Tasheka would give it to you. That was my baby. She’s just like mama.”
If you are in an unsafe situation and need help in Duval County, you can call the Hubbard House 24/7 hotline. That number is 904-354-3114.
The Florida Domestic Violence hotline is 1-800-500-1119, or you can visit myFLfamilies.com.
In Georgia, the number to call is 1-800-344-2836, or you can visit gcadv.org.
