MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Shelby County man has been sentenced to 150 years in prison after a jury convicted him of killing a woman and an 80-year-old Lyft driver during a 2022 crime spree.
The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office announced that Joshua Gossett was sentenced Wednesday to 150 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction after being found guilty earlier this year on two counts of First-Degree Murder and related firearm charges.
Chief Prosecutor Carrie Bush and Assistant District Attorney JD Hamblen prosecuted the case.
According to prosecutors, the murders occurred on Oct. 30, 2022.
Evidence presented during the trial showed Gossett used the Lyft app to travel to the home of Shunish Baggett, where he fatally shot her.
Prosecutors said Gossett then requested another Lyft ride. After 80-year-old driver Richard Skelskey picked him up, Gossett shot and killed him, stole his vehicle, and fled the area.
During the trial, jurors heard witness testimony and reviewed surveillance video, forensic evidence, and Gossett’s recorded statement to investigators.
Prosecutors also presented digital evidence tracing Gossett’s movements through the Lyft app and other electronic records, helping establish his identity and involvement in both killings.
Before sentencing, family members of both victims addressed the court through victim impact statements.
The jury convicted Gossett on all charges, and he was sentenced to serve 150 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.
