OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man convicted of killing his roommate at the Kissimmee condo they shared in 2017 was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Scott Douglas Waddell, 45, fatally shot Nicholas Anthony Corvino, 30, in October 2017 and told Osceola County sheriff's deputies he didn't remember shooting his roommate.
"He repeated numerous times he was fine but could not remember what happened before the cops showed up today at his home," a detective wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Waddell said he and Corvino had been best friends for about 10 years and roommates for two years. He also told deputies that he has been mentally disabled for about 15 years and takes numerous medications for his mental health.
"I know what I've done is horrible," Waddell said to the judge. "It's not something I wanted to happen or planned to happen. It just happened, and I don't know why. I don't know what caused this. He was my best friend, he was my brother. We loved each other like brothers. We never fought. I don't know what caused this."
Waddell pleaded no contest on Nov. 28, 2018, to a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm.
Before the judge sentenced Waddell, Corvino's family, including his aunt, who raised him after his parents died, addressed the court.
"Every day I go without seeing him is worse," Linda Harrington said. "He was my world. He was my baby. This man took him away from me."
Harrington previously told News 6 she hoped Waddell would be sentenced to death. He faced a sentence of 25 years to life, but the prosecution has requested a cap of 40 years, according to the plea agreement.
"I didn't get what I wanted, but I'm OK with what he received," Harrington told News 6 after the decision. "He'll be in his 70s when he gets out."
Waddell's mother also addressed the court and said her son has had mental health issues since childhood.
"I can't change anything. I just want my son to be safe," Carolyn Delong, Waddell's mother, said. "My heart goes out to the other family."