Pittman sentenced to life in prison for 2023 stabbing death

Calvin Lovelle Pittman, 47, of Panama City, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the stabbing death of Phillip S. Harvey, 20, in a convenience store parking lot in July 2023. The sentence was handed down by Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay.

A jury found Pittman guilty of Second-Degree Murder and Destruction or Tampering with Physical Evidence on July 21, 2026, following a two-day trial. Prosecutor Peter Overstreet presented evidence that Pittman stabbed Harvey in the side during an argument in Harvey's car on July 18, 2023. Harvey stumbled approximately 20 feet from the vehicle before collapsing.

At the hospital, Harvey identified Pittman as his assailant to two nurses. Pittman's extensive criminal history, which includes 12 prior felony convictions, was outlined by Overstreet during the sentencing hearing. Overstreet argued for the maximum sentence, stating, “Mr. Pittman has shown over and over again that he has no respect for the law or the safety of others. He has now taken a young man from his family, his loved ones, his community, in a vicious manner. Our community is safer with him in prison, which is where he will die.”

Harvey's godmother described him as an advanced student who graduated from a Tallahassee high school IB program and was working toward a better future. She told Judge Gay that Harvey was “loving, intelligent, caring and worthy… and he deserved so much better than the fate that was forced on him.” She added, “What makes this even harder to accept is that he did absolutely nothing to deserve what happened to him. He deserved the chance to continue chasing his dreams. He deserved the chance to grow old… instead his family and everyone who loved him has been sentenced to a lifetime of grief.”

The Springfield Police Department and Panama City Police Department were recognized for their collaborative efforts leading to the successful outcome of the case.