Driver Guilty Of Running Down Librarian In Dad's Church Van: Attorney

LAKELAND, FL — A Polk County man who ran over a librarian in 2020 was found guilty of first-degree murder Tuesday, the Polk County State Attorney's Office said.

Elijah Stansell and three co-defendants drove to Suzette Penton's home in Polk City on Nov. 9, 2020, after Stansell's girlfriend, Kimberly Stone, told him that she'd been arguing a lot with her ex-boyfriend, Hunter Penton, who was Suzette's son, authorities said.

Stansell was 18 at the time of this incident. He will be sentenced later in 2022 to mandatory life in prison, State Attorney Brian Haas said.

Stansell asked his dad, who worked as a Westwood Missionary Baptist Church pastor, if he could borrow the church van. Stansell drove Stone and two of her school friends, Hannah Eubank and Raven Sutton, to the Penton's house, the State Attorney's Office said.

Authorities said that Stansell, Eubank and Sutton confronted Hunter when Suzette went to the store.

Stone stayed inside the van during the confrontation, police said.

When Suzette returned home, the three teens ran back to the van. Stansell then ran over Suzette, authorities said.

Suzette died of her injuries on Nov. 25, 2020.

Eubank, 17; Sutton, 17; and Stone, 17, remain in the Polk County Jail on multiple charges including attempted felony murder, according to jail records. The three suspects are not eligible for bond, authorities said.

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