He tried to argue 'stand your ground' after a fatal stabbing. Here's how he'll pay instead

WEST PALM BEACH — More than six years after fatally stabbing another man at a Riviera Beach intersection, a 33-year-old man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed burglary charges.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe sentenced Douglas Stennett to 17 years in prison after he entered the pleas at a hearing on Thursday, Oct. 24. Prosecutors accused Stennett of fatally stabbing Romario Joseph on July 14, 2018, after exiting his vehicle and approaching Joseph's car at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Australian Avenue.

Stennett previously argued that he acted in self-defense. His attorneys told a judge in a 2020 hearing that Stennett feared for his safety because Joseph had threatened him moments before the fatal encounter. Circuit Judge Kirk Volker denied a defense motion to grant Stennett immunity from prosecution under Florida's "stand your ground" statute.

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Riviera Beach police described Stennett as the aggressor, saying he exited his vehicle at a stoplight and walked several cars ahead to confront Joseph, then 21. During Thursday's plea hearing, Assistant State Attorney Jo Wilensky said Stennett reached through the window of Joseph's vehicle and stabbed Joseph in the chest.

Nicola Chang, Joseph's mother, addressed the court via a remote video feed, stating that she opposed the plea agreement and wished to see Stennett receive a more severe penalty.

"I've suffered for six years," she said. "He murdered my son and I'm feeling all the pain. He's hoping to get the plea to come out and be with his family. I can't get that chance to be with my son anymore."

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Rowe told Chang that she understood her concerns, but noted that a trial would not guarantee a conviction or prison time for Stennett.

After accepting the plea, Rowe ordered that Stennett serve concurrent 17-year prison sentences. She credited him with 2,291 days of time served in the county jail while awaiting trial, meaning that he has completed more than six years of his sentence.

Stennett pleaded to a lesser count of manslaughter after a grand jury had indicted him on a charge of first-degree murder. He answered Rowe's questions confirming his acceptance of the plea but did not further address the court.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham . Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: He tried to argue 'stand your ground' after a fatal stabbing. Here's how he'll pay instead