An Ocala man accused of murdering another man at a park in Gainesville will spend at least 25 years in prison after accepting a plea deal.
Alachua County Court records show that 30-year-old Javon Stephon Barclay agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the 2023 shooting death of 44-year-old Johnny Walker.
In addition, Barclay also pleaded no contest to the following charges: grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.
Back on September 17, 2023, shortly after 6:40 p.m., a citizen called 911 to report that several gunshots were heard from the parking lot of Cynthia Chestnut Park (2315 SE 35th Street in Gainesville). The caller further stated that a male victim, later identified as Walker, had sustained gunshot wounds and was lying motionless in the parking lot, according to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
Walker was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
ACSO stated that an investigation revealed that Walker’s gold BMW sedan was missing from the parking lot.
On September 18, 2023, at around 10 a.m., the Ocala Police Department informed ACSO that the stolen BMW had been observed traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 441. Law enforcement officers from several agencies assisted with locating the BMW, and it was spotted in the 13300 block of U.S. Highway 441 at around 10:15 a.m. that morning, according to ACSO.
The driver of the BMW, later identified as Barclay, refused to stop when law enforcement officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop. During an ensuing pursuit, an officer utilized a precision immobilization technique (P.I.T.) maneuver on the BMW, which stopped the vehicle and allowed law enforcement to take Barclay into custody.
After receiving treatment at a local hospital for minor injuries, Barclay was transported to Alachua County Jail. He was initially charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer and driving with a suspended or revoked license, and he also had an outstanding warrant out of Marion County for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Detectives continued to process evidence related to the fatal shooting. In January of 2024, Barclay was indicted by a grand jury on the following charges: first-degree murder, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, driving while license suspended, and fleeing or attempt to elude a law enforcement officer.
Following his plea deal, Barclay is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, with credit for 778 days already served. A sentencing hearing for Barclay is scheduled to take place on Monday, November 10, 2025, according to court records.