Blind Rabbit gunman sentenced to life in prison

The gunman who shot and killed a local father of two outside a Riverside restaurant three years ago will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Thursday, a Duval County judge sentenced Erron Coleman, 27.

Coleman confessed to killing Daniel Rowe, 20, while he was taking out the trash outside the Blind Rabbit in July 2015.

Before Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Rowe’s family formed a circle and held hands in prayer.

At the hearing, Rowe’s father, Steven, read a victim impact statement.

“I am Daniel Rowe’s father,” Steven Rowe said.  “I love him, and miss my son every day.”

Steven Rowe was working right across the street at Kickbacks that night, and held his son’s hand as he was loaded into the ambulance.

“Daniel’s murder was a barbaric act of violence,” Steven Rowe said.  “[Coleman] told us [Daniel Rowe] followed everything he asked him to do, so why did he have to die for so little gain?  Face down on the ground, he was shot in the back of the head by a coward.”

Coleman took the stand, apologized for his actions that night and admitted to pulling the trigger.

He and Devonte Hanford attacked Rowe as he was taking out the trash.  Action News Jax told you when Hanford was sentenced to more than 20 years earlier this month.

Some of Rowe's family traveled from as far as Ohio to be there, but none could hold back tears.

After court, Rowe’s parents shared a message for their son.

“We got justice,” Steven Rowe said.

“I would just tell him, ‘I love him, I miss him,’ I will do absolutely everything I can to take care of his girls, and make sure they know who he is,” said Daniel’s mother, Raelyn Rowe.

“He was a person this world needed,” she added.

Cox Media Group