Tennessee / Rideshare article

Joshua Gossett Gets 150 Years for Killing Shunish Baggett and Lyft Driver Richard Skelskey

Published July 4, 2026

Richard Skelskey, 80, accepted a Lyft pickup on October 30, 2022, after Joshua Gossett had killed Shunish Baggett, according to Shelby County prosecutors. Gossett killed Skelskey too. A jury convicted Gossett in April 2026 of two counts of first-degree murder and related firearm offenses.

On July 1, 2026, Judge Carolyn Wade Blackett sentenced Gossett to 150 years in prison. Read the Shelby County district attorney’s announcement.

What prosecutors proved

On October 30, 2022, Gossett used Lyft to get to Shunish Baggett’s home, where he shot and killed her. He booked a second ride to leave. When Skelskey picked him up, Gossett shot him in the head and drove away in his vehicle, according to the district attorney’s office.

The trial

Prosecutors Carrie Bush and JD Hamblen presented 15 witnesses, 57 exhibits, surveillance footage, and about six hours of Gossett’s recorded statement to police. They used the recordings and other electronic evidence to establish his identity and trace his actions. The jury found him guilty on every count. District attorney’s April 17, 2026 bulletin.

The sentence

Members of both families spoke in court before Judge Blackett imposed the 150-year sentence, the district attorney’s office said. Action News 5 also reported the sentence.

Richard Skelskey and Shunish Baggett

Skelskey’s family obituary says he lived in Walls, Mississippi, “for the last fourteen years with his wife, Yanilda,” and had five children. “Richard made his mark in Real Estate in Bristol, CT, and later in southern California,” it says. The obituary says he “will be remembered for his typical farewell,” which was “May God bless you real good.”

A fundraiser organized by Kimetria Baggett for Baggett’s daughter says: “We are all heartbroken to lose a mother, sister, friend and all-around great woman who took pride in supporting her family & friends.”

Sources

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