Titusville man indicted by grand jury on murder charge; state to decide if it will pursue death penalty
A Brevard grand jury indicted a Titusville man Tuesday on a first-degree murder charge following the death of his girlfriend, a decision that could lead the state to seek the death penalty for him.
Alteric Johnson, 22, was arrested June 2 when Titusville police responded to a call about a man shooting a woman on Willow Street, police said.
They discovered Johnson had attacked Ty'Kara Madden, 21, with a machete, partially amputating her hand. When she ran to a neighbor's house, he shot her, police said, wounding her in the back of her head. She died at a local hospital June 6.
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Johnson was initially charged with attempted murder; the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder following Madden's death.
Investigators found that the incident began as an argument between the couple at Johnson's home, where Johnson nearly severed Madden's right hand, the state attorney's office said in a statement.
Her death was ruled a homicide by the Brevard County medical examiner.
The medical examiner, a Titusville police detective and a crime scene investigator testified before the grand jury returned with their indictment, the state attorney's office said.
A trial date has not been set. The state has 45 days to decide if they will pursue the death penalty for Johnson.
Johnson's attorney, Jay Yenor, at the Fifth District Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel did not respond to a request for comment.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Shooting in Titusville results in indictment on first-degree murder charge
