FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 7, 2020) — The Lee County Sheriff announced an arrest in the murder investigation of a man in his twenties who was killed in South Fort Myers. The man deputies arrested lists his address as Cape Coral. The man under arrest now faces second-degree murder charges according to The News-Press. The detectives who investigated that case had not released any information identifying the alleged victim expect to indicate that the man was in his twenties when he died. The man charged with second-degree murder is held on a $1,000,000.00 bond on the murder rap. He is also held on $3,000.00 bond stemming from charges of resisting an officer for an arrest in late January of 2020.
The victim’s death came to light when a FedEx delivery person arrived at the victim’s home to drop off a package. The delivery person found the victim’s door open slightly. The delivery person opened the door and found the victim down on the floor of the apartment. First responders arrived on the scene, and medics pronounced him dead about 10 minutes later.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit detectives arrived to begin a murder inquiry. They learned from the medical examiner that the cause of the victim’s death was homicide by a gunshot wound. The investigators did not specify the exact number of gunshot wounds the victim suffered but it is believed that the victim was shot more than once.
Investigators developed a witness to the homicide. Also, detectives narrowed in on a suspect by determining who was in contact with the victim in his last hours. The detectives culled through cellular phone records and determined the path of travel the suspect and the witness took after the crime. The witness told police that the victim threw the feeding device from a firearm out of the car while on I-75. The Lee County Sheriff said that the homicide detectives continue to work the case even though they arrested their suspect.
Second-Degree Murder Charges in Florida
Second-degree murder in Florida carries the potential for a commitment to the state prison for any term of years up to life. Section 782.04(2) of the 2019 Florida Statutes defines second-degree murder as any unlawful killing of a human during an act that is imminently dangerous to the life of another human being and shows the perpetrator to have a depraved mind toward human life but is committed without any premeditated design to kill. The crime is a first-degree felony.
Third-degree murder is a killing committed by a person who was acting negligently or committed the killing compelled by the heat of passion. Third-degree murder is sometimes referred to as manslaughter in other states. Third-degree murder is a second-degree felony, which could be punished by imprisonment for up to fifteen years.
First-degree murder is a capital case in Florida. The prosecution could elect to pursue the death penalty or life in prison without the potential for parole as a punishment for first-degree murder. First-degree murder is committed with either deliberate planning or is felony murder. Felony murder is a killing committed during the commission of an inherently dangerous felony such as armed robbery.