James Scandirito Jr. (Jimmy)

James “Jimmy” Scandirito Jr. was born on October 15, 1968, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

His father, James “Skip” Scandirito Sr., was a former Michigan judge who later moved to Florida after retiring from the bench. Father and son lived in the Boca Raton area and were described by the defense as having a close relationship.

According to testimony at trial, Jimmy and his father spent time together socially, including golfing, barbecuing and discussing politics.

Scandirito Jr. had experienced financial difficulties before his father's death. Prosecutors later argued that his financial circumstances provided a motive for killing his father because Jimmy was the sole beneficiary of his father's approximately $800,000 estate.

There was one death associated with the case, that of James “Skip” Scandirito Sr., but Jimmy Scandirito Jr. was acquitted of murdering him.

On March 28, 2018, Jimmy was at his father's Boca Raton home. He later testified that the two men had been drinking and that he had been using cocaine.

According to Scandirito Jr.'s testimony, he left his father inside the home while he went outside to smoke a cigarette. When he returned, he said he found his father unresponsive on the floor.

Rather than contacting emergency services, Scandirito Jr. said he panicked. He testified that he feared authorities would blame him because he had brought cocaine into the house.

He subsequently moved his father's body, purchased cleaning supplies and other materials, and dismembered the remains.

Investigators later found human remains at the former Ocean Breeze Golf Club. Police determined that the remains belonged to James Scandirito Sr.

Because Scandirito Jr. was acquitted of murder, there is no established homicidal modus operandi attributed to him.

His established criminal conduct involved the postmortem dismemberment and concealment of his father's body.

Investigators found evidence that Scandirito Jr. had purchased garbage bags, cleaning supplies and a handcart after his father's death. Surveillance footage also showed him visiting stores and later traveling to the abandoned golf course where his father's remains were discovered.

James Scandirito Sr. was reported missing on April 1, 2018.

Jimmy initially told police that his father had failed to return home. Detectives became suspicious after identifying inconsistencies in his account.

Police surveillance subsequently followed Scandirito Jr. to the former Ocean Breeze Golf Club during the early morning hours of April 3. Investigators observed him entering the property with a small bag and leaving with a suitcase while wearing different clothing.

Human remains were discovered at the site the following day.

Scandirito Jr. was later arrested in Alachua County after authorities observed him driving a vehicle displaying a stolen license plate. He was initially charged with first-degree murder.

Scandirito Jr.'s murder trial took place in Palm Beach County in March 2019.

The prosecution argued that he had killed his father for financial reasons. Prosecutors highlighted his status as the sole beneficiary of his father's estate and evidence that he had attempted to access approximately $9,500 from an account belonging to his father. (wpbf.com)

The defense acknowledged that Scandirito Jr. had dismembered the body but argued that he had not killed his father. His attorneys maintained that James Sr. had died unexpectedly and that Jimmy's subsequent actions resulted from drug-fueled paranoia and panic.

Scandirito Jr. testified that he found his father dead after the two had been using drugs. He said he believed his father might have died after taking cocaine, although cocaine was not found in the victim's system.

The medical examiner could not establish a cause of death and found no evidence of homicidal trauma apart from the injuries caused by the dismemberment. (lawandcrime.com)

On March 21, 2019, the jury found Scandirito Jr. not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of abuse of a dead human body.

On June 21, 2019, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, receiving credit for time already served.