JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A jury determined the former owners of the Blind Rabbit were not liable in the death of Daniel Rowe, a worker who was gunned down during a robbery in 2015 while taking out the trash at the Riverside restaurant.
The estate for Daniel Rowe, 20, filed a negligent security civil lawsuit against 901 King Street LLC and Accubuild Developers, saying the owners of the building were aware of crime problems in the area, but didn't take sufficient security measures to protect the restaurant workers.
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The jury ruled in favor of the defendants on Wednesday, concluding the trial that began March 4.
An attorney for the defendants said his clients are gratified after the verdict, which was returned after about two hours of deliberations. Neither Rowe's family nor the family's attorney immediately made comment on the verdict.
After two years of denying any role in Rowe's death, Erron Coleman pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced last year to life in prison. Devonte Hanford was sentenced to second-degree murder and is serving 20 years in prison for his role in Rowe's death.
Rowe's family had expressed frustration that it took time to bring charges against Coleman and Hanford, but after Coleman's sentencing, they said they are thankful because they know so many murders go unsolved.