Bradenton Man Convicted of Murdering Girlfriend on her Birthday

BRADENTON — Nicholas Lee Shermer was convicted of Second Degree Murder this week, after being arrested for the August 27, 2023, shooting of his then-girlfriend, Amanda Shoaf, on her 27th birthday at the couple’s Carlton Arms apartment.

The defendant shot the victim four times, and she was killed almost instantly by the fourth shot. The defendant called 911 sometime after the shooting and admitted, “I shot my girlfriend.”

“We are very pleased with the jury’s verdict and thankful that the family of Amanda Shoaf can begin to feel some closure after losing Amanda to a senseless act of domestic violence,” said Assistant State Attorney Garrett Franzen, the lead prosecutor in the case. “A special thanks goes out to the men and women of the Bradenton Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and all others who investigated this crime and assisted in obtaining this verdict."

A sentencing date is yet to be determined. The crime carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. The minimum mandatory sentence is 25 years to life.