December 11, 2025
PRESS RELEASE
(Escambia County, Florida) On December 11, 2025, Kopelyn Gerard Gildon was convicted of Second Degree Murder with a Firearm by an Escambia County Jury. Circuit Judge John Miller presided over the trial.
On the afternoon of August 7, 2022, Gildon shot and killed Roosevelt Broadnax, Jr., in Broadnax’s home on Walnut Avenue in Escambia County. Gildon was accompanied by Raven Morgan who initially distracted Broadnax before Gildon came into the bedroom and shot Broadnax as he lay on the bed. Broadnax was discovered several hours later, and the homicide was reported.
In the days following the murder, investigators seized a cellular telephone from Gildon as he was trying to pass it off to Morgan during their interaction with law enforcement. Photographs of the deceased Broadnax were located on the phone. Morgan later confessed to her involvement in the case and explained the homicide was a murder for hire transacted by Gildon with another local drug dealer.
Morgan entered a plea to Second Degree Murder with a Firearm and Giving False Information to Law Enforcement in a murder investigation. Gildon and Morgan are both set to be sentenced on December 17, 2025. Gildon has an extensive criminal history which includes several violent crimes. He is currently serving a state prison sentence for possession of a firearm by convicted felon.
The investigation and arrest were made by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Amy Shea prosecuted the case on behalf of Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida. For more information, please contact Ms. Shea at 850-595-0207.
