Bonifay man sentenced to 30 years for murder

HOLMES COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A Bonifay man was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday.

A jury found Matthew Ryan Peoples, 35, guilty of Second-Degree Murder in July.

(RELATED: Holmes County man convicted of Second-Degree Murder)

The altercation happened on Sept. 4, 2023, after an evening of arguments between the victim and the defendant’s sister.

Peoples claimed the victim threatened to beat him up. Then, when they were outside with the police on the way, Peoples claimed the victim started running toward him as if he wanted to fight, so he shot the victim once in the chest.

The case was prosecuted by Peter Overstreet, who asked for a life sentence.

“I don’t make any secret that I’m kind of an eye-for-eye kind of person, and I think the appropriate sentence is Life,” he said, according to a press release. “I think if you take a life, you better be willing to give up your own.”

Overstreet read a victim impact statement from the victim’s mother in court.

“The day you killed my son, you killed a piece of me as well,” the victim’s mother wrote. “I’ll never be the same. I cry every day because I miss him so much.”

After the sentencing, she thanked Overstreet for advocating for her son and the family.

(RELATED: “My boy can rest now,” Mother speaks out after son’s killer is found guilty)

“Mr. Overstreet did a wonderful job for us; he was there for us, and we’re grateful that he worked so hard on this,” she said. “We knew someone cared.”

Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts explained during sentencing that under Florida’s 10-20-Life law, the sentence could range from a minimum-mandatory 25 years up to Life.

The defense asked for the minimum 25-year sentence, but Judge Roberts handed down a 30-year sentence and added probation for life, along with restitution, according to the press release.

“This was an avoidable tragedy, 100 percent avoidable,” Overstreet said. “But the defendant chose to involve a gun from the outset … he was like a cowboy. He’s calling out to the victim, basically whacking the hornet’s nest, and then is surprised when Mr. Pate reacts, so he shoots him.”

State Attorney Larry Basford thanked the Bonifay Police Department for its handling of the investigation, along with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WJHG on Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter).

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Email news@wjhg.com. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WJHG News app, and check out what’s happening outside using the WJHG Weather app.