A Volusia County man will spend decades in prison after pleading no contest to several charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with a fatal 2023 shooting that left one person dead and two others wounded.
Last week, a Volusia County judge sentenced 47-year-old New Smyrna Beach resident Walter Francis Russell to 50 years in prison. In March, Russell pleaded no contest to the following charges: second-degree murder with a firearm (one count), attempted first-degree murder (two counts), and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court records, a witness saw Russell and his wife, Laura Carter, walk into a wooded area near a homeless camp located on Juniper Drive in Edgewater on October 5, 2023. Shortly after Russell and Carter walked out of view, the witness reported hearing multiple gunshots.
Three victims sustained gunshot wound. One of the victims was pronounced deceased at the scene, and the two remaining victims recovered from their injuries at a local hospital.
The day after the shooting incident, Carter contacted the New Smyrna Beach Police Department to report that her gun was missing. Homicide detectives observed that Carter matched the description that was provided by the witness, and she eventually confessed to going to the homeless camp with Russell the previous night.
In addition, the type of gun belonging to Carter matched the shell casings that were found at the scene of the shooting.
Russell was taken into custody. During an interview with detectives, Russell claimed that one of the victims “previously attempted to rob him” and “sold him bad marijuana.” He told detectives that this prompted him to go to the homeless camp, where he shot at the three victims.
After the shooting, Russell told detectives that his wife “helped him get rid of the gun.”
The case was investigated by the Edgewater Police Department, and it was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Helen Schwartz.
Carter was also charged with accessory after the fact, which is a capital felony. She pleaded no contest to the charge last year and received a four-year prison sentence, which will be followed by two years of community service and five years of probation.