Gainesville Killer to Serve Five Decades in FDC, Two Accomplices Serving Long Prison and Probation Terms, Alleged Ring-Leader Awaits Trial
A Gainesville man recently convicted of murder, Alderious Jerrad White, 32, will be transferred from the Alachua County Jail to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) to serve a five-decade prison sentence.
White's conviction stems from the 2022 murder of D'halani Armstrong, who lost her life at the age of 20. Two others helped White commit the murder, his uncle Jason Travis Ward, 41, and Tiara Luckie, 33, who are serving respective sentences of 30 years in prison and 15 years of probation, court records show.
According to Alachua County court records, prosecutors are pursuing charges against Patrick Owen Watson, 52, alleging he orchestrated the crime.
According to Watson’s indictment, he, along with White and Ward intended to “take money or other property” when they entered the residence. The indictment states, “Alderious Jerrad White and Jason Travis Ward were engaged in the perpetration of, or in the attempt to perpetrate a burglary, a robbery, or a home invasion robbery requested or procured by Patrick Owen Watson.”
Watson did “command, encourage, hire, or request Tiara Luckie, Jason Ward, and Alderious White to engage in specific conduct constituting the offense of home invasion robbery and armed burglary,” the indictment states.
The Arrest Reports:
According to the arrest reports, on July 19, 2022, Luckie drove White and Ward to a home in Northeast Gainesville where the murder was later committed. Luckie drove past the residence at 6:30 am but didn’t stop the car. At 6:40 am, she drove past again, stopping to let Ward out. Ward knocked on the door but received no response and got back in the vehicle. At 6:50 am, Luckie drove past again, with both Ward and White exiting the vehicle when she stopped.
Armed with guns, White and Ward busted down the door. Once inside the house, Armstrong encountered White, and he shot and killed her. In another room, Ward held Armstrong’s uncle Dovico Miles and his friend at gunpoint. Ward told them to not move, but Miles intervened, and Ward was shot in the process.
As this incident occurred, a fourth victim and a ten-year-old fifth victim were hiding in a bathtub.
Surveillance footage captured Ward struggling to flee after being shot, “falling multiple times on his way to the dark-colored sedan he arrived in and gripping at the right side of his torso,” his arrest report describes. At this point, Ward and White separated, with White fleeing on foot; however, he was unable to escape Miles.
According to his arrest report, White exited the home and encountered Miles in the front yard. Miles then shot White with a gun. As White sat in the road, Miles confronted him and recognized him as the son of his long-time friend. It's unclear what happened next, based on reports.
Meanwhile, Luckie drove Ward to the house of a family member (witness). Luckie knocked on the witness’ door and reportedly told her, “Your people been shot.” The witness exited the house and saw Ward suffering from a gunshot wound. Ward got into the witness’ car, and she gave him a ride to the hospital. Ward reportedly told the witness he had been “hit” and gave no other information.
Courtroom Proceedings:
It is widely reported in several news articles and the police reports that Ward’s gun went off during a struggle with Miles, and then Miles shot White with Ward’s gun. A supplemental discovery exhibit recently filed in Watson's case indicates that this information was at least partly based on a witness’ testimony. According to the document, the witness revealed at a pretrial meeting that Miles “did have his own gun in the den when the incident commenced.”
Watson was booked into the Alachua County Jail on October 28, 2022. He faces charges of murder while engaged in a burglary, armed burglary, solicitation of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The sentences of White, Ward and Luckie all stem from plea deals. Their arrest reports show they were booked into jail soon after the incidents occurred.
White was convicted of second-degree murder, armed burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Under the conditions of his plea deal, White certifies his testimony is truthful and accurate. Court records indicate prosecutors intend to use White’s testimony in Watson’s case. If White lied in his testimony, then the state could revoke the plea deal and sentence him to the maximum of life.
Court documents in Watson’s case show White won’t be transferred to prison until his case is over, meaning White will remain in the Alachua County Jail for now.
Ward was convicted of second-degree murder, armed burglary and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. While he was transferred to a DOC facility, he is now back in the Alachua County Jail under court orders. Ward signed a similar truthful testimony corporation agreement as part of his plea deal, court documents show. Ward was transferred from the FDC to the Alachua County Jail on October 19, 2025, the booking log shows.
Luckie managed to avoid a conviction and was granted a withheld adjudication for being an accessory to second degree murder after the fact. She is serving out her probation while living in Ocala, the FDC website shows, and it's unclear if the state plans to call her up to the witness stand or use her for testimony in Watson’s trial.
Watson is scheduled to take his case to trial in one month, with jury selection set for December 8. It's unclear if the trial will be held on the same day the jury is selected, but information may become available as the date draws closer.
Dovico Miles’ Cases:
Gainesville police arrested Miles after his niece’s murder and charged him with tampering with evidence because he wrapped the guns up, as well as possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Gainesville Police Department Detective Desiree Russano wrote Miles' arrest report, stating the following:
On the above date and time two armed home invaders entered [Miles'] home. One of the invaders held [Miles] and his friend at gunpoint while the other shot and killed [his] niece. [Miles] wrestled a black and chrome handgun away from the invader that held him and his friend at gunpoint. [A witness] observed [Miles] shooting at one of the armed home invaders in the front yard of [his] home as the armed home invader ran from the home. The witness further observed that the gun [Miles] was holding was silver on 'top.'
Post-Miranda Warning [Miles] stated that he took that 'chrome' topped gun he wrestled away from the home invader along with two other 'rusted' guns he had in and around his home and wrapped them in a black t-shirt away from the home invader along with two other ‘rusted’ guns he had in and around his home and wrapped them in a black t-shirt. [Miles] stated he hid the guns wrapped in the black t-shirt in an overgrown area on the other side of his chain-link fence because he knew he could not possess a firearm as a convicted felon.
Detectives observed the butt end of a semi-automatic handgun sticking out from under the black t-shirt. Further investigation revealed the 3 firearms wrapped in the t-shirt.
[Miles] is a convicted felon. Citrus County Case # 092003CF000189XXXAXX.
[Miles] is currently on federal supervised release.
The charges were dropped, but only because Miles was placed under federal prosecution.
This page will be updated when GnvInfo confirms that status of Miles’ federal case.
