The Daytona Beach Police Department (DBPD) is making strides in solving a murder which occurred recently in our city.
Emergency dispatchers received a call around 5 o’clock last night (May 11, 2020) from a man who said he found someone laying on the ground in the parking lot of the Curaleaf store at 910 West International Speedway Boulevard.
Paramedics arrived on scene and attempted to revive the victim, who was unconscious and had three bullet wounds on his body. He was transported from the scene to Halifax Health Medical Center, where he passed away from his injuries shortly after arrival.
Detectives with DBPD’s Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene and were able to find video footage tying two men and a blue Kia Forte to the murder. The vehicle’s license plate was then sent to neighboring law enforcement agencies last night as part of a BOLO (Be On The Lookout).
Shortly after the BOLO was issued, the Kia Forte was spotted in Orlando through a license plate reader. At that moment, we began working with the Orlando Police Department (OPD) to find that vehicle.
The Kia was involved in a fatal accident around 12:15 this afternoon in Orlando. For details of that incident, please contact OPD or the Florida Highway Patrol.
A handgun was recovered in the vehicle and some of our detectives are in Orlando right now working with OPD to determine who was in that vehicle and if they’re involved in last night’s homicide.
A motive for the murder isn’t clear currently, but it appears to involve narcotics.
In a press conference this afternoon, Chief Craig Capri identified a person of interest in the case as 29-year-old Willie Walker. He was found at the scene of the accident in Orlando.
No charges have been filed at the moment.
The victim’s identity is not available for release at this time.
The video of the incident is also not available at this time.
This investigation is active and ongoing. No other details are available for now.