One of the teens accused of fatally shooting 14-year-old Danika Troy and lighting her body on fire will remain in custody pending the outcome of his murder case following a judge’s order Dec. 22.
Kimahri Blevins, a 14-year-old indicted with first-degree premeditated murder, was ordered to remain in custody after Judge Matt Gordon granted the state’s motion to detain the teen prior to the disposition of his case.
“I will find that there is a substantial probability that the defendant committed this offense, and, based on all of the considerations for this particular crime, that no conditions of release or bail will reasonably protect the community from a risk of physical harm,” Gordon said after viewing evidence presented by the state during a pretrial detention hearing.
Blevins’ codefendant, 16-year-old Gabriel Williams, was also indicted for first-degree premeditated murder Dec. 19 after they allegedly carried out a plan to lure Troy into a wooded area in Pace Nov. 30. While there, Williams allegedly shot Troy multiple times before they doused her body in gasoline and lit her body on fire.
During the pretrial detention hearing, detective for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit and lead investigator in the case, Ashley Thompson, said she attended Troy’s autopsy, testifying that the medical examiner discovered the young girl had been shot at least three times.
The bullets pierced Troy’s skull, spine, lungs diaphragm and liver, according to Thompson.
Prior to Gordon’s decision to allow Blevins to be detained before trial, his attorney argued Blevins should be allowed pretrial release because of his young age, as well as the apparent evidence pointing to Williams being the one to allegedly pull the trigger.
However, Gordon appeared to agree with Assistant State Attorney Mark Alderman’s argument, saying the 14-year-old ought to be detained before trial due to the nature of the offense.
“The nature of the crime that was committed against a 14-year-old juvenile, I think that clearly shows a disregard for the safety of the community and a danger to the entire community for Mr. Blevins to be released, despite his young age,” Alderman argued.
Blevins is next scheduled to appear in court Jan. 8, 2026, for his arraignment. Williams does not yet appear to have a publicly searchable case file, according to court records.
Danika Troy case: Timeline of events
How much prison time do Gabriel Williams and Kimahri Blevins face?
An Escambia County grand jury indicted Williams and Blevins with first-degree premeditated murder.
Under Florida law, capital murder requires a minimum mandatory sentence of life in state prison.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Teen indicted for Danika Troy death deemed ‘danger to community,’ denied bond
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

