Man gets 35 years for 2020 Bradenton murder

BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - A man was sentenced to 35 years in prison Friday for killing a coworker outside a Bradenton condo in 2020.

Jessie Hernandez had been convicted of second-degree murder in the case.

Hernandez and Rene Balditt were working in a bucket lift outside the Main Street Condominiums Feb. 14, 2020.

While the lift was 30-40 feet off the ground, Hernandez accused Balditt of having an affair with his girlfriend. At some point, Hernandez stabbed Balditt numerous times in his neck, killing him.

“This case and the loss of Mr. Balditt have had a significant impact on his family, and we can only hope that Mr. Hernandez being held accountable for his actions provides them some measure of justice,” said Dickey Hough, the lead prosecutor in the case.