Man sentenced to life in prison for killing cyclist on Rickenbacker Causeway in 2019 – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

MIAMI (WSVN) – A 46-year-old man convicted last month in the 2019 fatal shooting of a bicyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway has been sentenced to life in prison.

Kadel Piedrahita was accused of shooting 48-year-old Alexis Palencia on the dam on August 14, 2019.

During his hearing Thursday, Piedrahita apologized to Palencia's brother.

Piedrahita's lawyer argued during the trial that he was acting in self-defense when he shot Palencia.

They said Piedrahita and Palencia had been brewing bad blood for up to a year before the crime as they both routinely rode in the same cycling group. It remains unclear what caused the bad blood.

The defense said that either Palencia or another cyclist he was with had a gun, but that alleged second gun was never found by police.

Ultimately, after deliberating for a few hours, the jury did not believe the defense's argument and found Piedrahita guilty on all counts.

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