WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A 25-year-old West Palm Beach man was convicted Monday in the fatal shooting of a Broward County man nearly two years ago.
In West Palm Beach, a jury found Luis Valdez guilty of first-degree murder with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm. Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates Jr. set sentencing for 11 a.m. on Aug. 22.
Jaytwan McNeal, 23, was killed in September 2021.
![Jaytwan McNeal, missing man killed by Sophia and Luis Valdez](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/527e2ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F87%2F67%2Fba7fbb98453fb3fb61f0388f68ba%2Fjaytwan-mcneal.jpeg)
Valdez sister, Sophia Valdez, 23, also is accused of first-degree murder but her trial date hasn't been set. The next court date is 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 24.
The siblings lived in the same mobile home park.
![mobile home where Sophia and Luis Valdez live](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b2699fc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x3024+0+0/resize/1280x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5c%2F69%2F246058e7443a932253e594ec6fd0%2Fimage-from-ios-4.jpg)
McNeal was reported missing Sept. 25, 2021, four days after he was last seen on surveillance video walking away from his apartment complex in Oakland Park.
A tipster later told the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office that McNeal traveled north to Palm Beach County to meet with Sophia Valdez, a longtime friend and schoolmate.
The tipster claimed Valdez's older brother, Luis Valdez, shot and killed McNeal, wrapped his body in a blue tarp, loaded it into Sophia Valdez's car and then discarded it in a dumpster.