Judge sentences Orlando pastor to life for killing his estranged wife outside credit union

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County jury found a man guilty of first-degree murder almost four years after he fatally shot his estranged wife outside of the Orlando credit where she worked.

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Police said Sylvester Ofori, 39, was accused of shooting Barbara Tommey, 27, on Sept. 8, 2020, outside of the Navy Federal Credit Union on Gardens Park Boulevard.

Tommey was leaving the building to go to her car when her husband, a pastor of Floodgates of Heaven International Ministries, shot her, killing her.

Police said the shooting was captured on security footage, and numerous employees and customers witnessed the incident.

Read: ‘A heinous act of violence’: Pastor charged with murder, accused of killing wife outside credit union where she worked

The State Attorney’s Office said the video showed Tommey knocking on the front door of the credit union, and Ofori pistol-whipping her and shooting her multiple times.

Tommey was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A search warrant was served at Ofori’s apartment, where he was taken into custody, police said.

Read: Man charged with first-degree murder after shooting wife outside Orlando credit union where she worked, police say

Family members told Orlando police officers that there were other domestic violence incidents in the past, and Ofori had threatened to kill Tommey before the murder.

Ofori was arrested and charged with first-degree murder with a firearm.

Almost a dozen people testified in court about the details of the shooting, including the credit union employees and the victim’s brother.

After a three-day trial, a judge sentenced Ofori to life in prison.

Florida’s domestic violence hotline is available any time, day or night. That phone number is 1-800-500-1119.

Read: Police find several guns during ‘high-risk arrest’ in downtown Orlando, officers say

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