Husband ‘executed' wife in front of her parents who came to help her, FL cops say
A woman called her parents for help to defuse an argument with her husband the day she found out he was cheating on her, then he 'executed' her in front of them, according to Florida prosecutors and her family.
A jury deliberated for 17 minutes before finding 37-year-old Shantell Adkins guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault, the State Attorney's Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit announced June 4.
McClatchy News reached out to Adkins' attorney for comment June 5 but did not immediately receive a response.
The mother of slain 34-year-old Shawntai Adkins said during a deposition that her daughter had found out earlier the day she was killed that her husband had been cheating on her.
She learned of his infidelity through messages on his Apple Watch, and she told her mom she was done and was going to divorce him, her mother recounted during the deposition.
On Oct. 19, 2023, the wife accused her husband of taking her motorcycle while he was intoxicated, days after he was admitted to a medical facility for alcohol abuse treatment under the Marchman Act, according to court documents filed in Volusia County.
The woman's mom said her daughter called and asked her parents to come over because her husband had taken her bike and wouldn't tell her where it was.
The parents went over to the Daytona Beach home and were asking their son-in-law where the motorcycle was, then he got angry and got out his rifle, deputies said.
The parents and the wife started leaving, then Adkins fired off a shot, killing his wife, the Daytona Beach Police Department said in an arrest affidavit.
The parents started running, and the father broke his leg while trying to jump over a fence, according to prosecutors and police.
Shantell Adkins also shot himself in the shoulder, and he was hospitalized while his wife died at the scene, police said.
His defense tried to prevent prosecutors from using his alcohol use or alleged infidelity in court, but a judge denied the motions, saying prosecutors could use those details to establish motive for the woman's death.
Adkins is expected to be sentenced to mandatory life in prison June 23.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Woman has boyfriend kill her stepdad for life insurance payout, Florida cops say
A woman increased her stepdad's life insurance policy to $750,000, then 16 days later had her boyfriend kill him, Florida authorities said. A jury convicted 48-year-old Perry Stanley of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the State Attorney's Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit announced June 26. His girlfriend at the time, 36-year-old Myesha Williams, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm in January, Volusia County records show. She awaits sentencing. Williams' attorney told McClatchy News that Williams testified on behalf of the state twice during Stanley's trial. Stanley's attorney didn't respond to comment June 27. The conviction comes more than six years after the couple was accused of conspiring to kill 59-year-old Terrence Gibson for money, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office. In 2018, Williams took out a $25,000 life insurance policy on her stepfather, who helped raise her and was married to Williams' mother before she died, officers with the DeLand Police Department wrote in an arrest affidavit. When Williams took out the policy, she told the insurance agent not to worry about adding Gibson's daughter to the plan, listing herself as the sole beneficiary, according to investigators who obtained a recording of the conversation. But 16 days before her stepfather was shot four times and killed, she called the insurance agency again, police said. She wanted to increase her stepdad's policy from $25,000 to $750,000, according to police. She asked what the payout would be if her stepdad died in an accident versus if he was killed, and how she would make her claim, police said. The insurance agent told her if someone hurt him, the payout would be $150,000, according to investigators. Prosecutors said Stanley impersonated Gibson on the phone to confirm the policy details. The day Gibson died, Williams told detectives she picked up her stepdad and they visited her mom's grave, then she brought him to a vacant field known as a hangout spot called the Watering Hole, police said. Not long after, witnesses said a man wearing all black and a ski mask walked up to Gibson and shot him multiple times in the back before fleeing, police said. A K-9 tracked the scent, and investigators found a dropped cell phone in the sand next to a set of footprints, according to police. Photos on the phone led police to believe it belonged to Perry Stanley. Phone records show that seven minutes before Gibson was killed, Stanley called Williams and spoke to her for three minutes, according to prosecutors and police. Williams said her boyfriend was named Tim, and when shown a photo of Stanley, she said that wasn't Tim, according to police. Stanley also initially denied knowing Williams, detectives said. Phone records contradicted that story, showing the pair was frequently in the same location in the 10-day period leading up to Gibson's death, according to police. But during an interview nearly eight months after the killing, Williams changed her story, and when shown a photo of Stanley again, she said that was her boyfriend she had been referring to as Tim, investigators said. She said in the September 2019 interview that the day Gibson died at the Watering Hole, she was driving away from the area when she saw Stanley walk up behind Gibson with a gun, then she heard shots, according to police. Police said they learned the couple met up after Gibson was killed, and Stanley burned his clothes. A few days later, Williams called the insurance company to tell them her stepfather had been killed, according to investigators. In October 2020, a grand jury indicted both of them on first-degree murder charges. DeLand is in Volusia County, about a 40-mile drive north from Orlando.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Christian school teacher accused of using AI to make child porn in Florida
A Christian school teacher is accused of using artificial intelligence to make child pornography in Florida. David Robert McKeown also shared child sexual abuse images while connected to the Wi-Fi at United Brethren in Christ Academy in Holly Hill, where he taught sixth grade, state officials wrote June 20 in news releases. 'He spent parts of the school day sending and receiving child sex abuse material and providing other pedophiles with UBIC Academy students' personal information,' Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a release. 'What he did is beyond betrayal — it's devastating and sick.' An attorney believed to be representing 47-year-old McKeown didn't immediately respond to McClatchy News' requests for comment on June 27. UBIC Academy in a Facebook post said it was aware of the teacher's arrest. 'We are shocked and deeply grieved by the serious allegations of misconduct against him,' wrote Don Ross, school board chair. 'Our employment relationship with David McKeown has been terminated, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement authorities.' The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said McKeown was arrested and booked into the Volusia County jail. He has been charged with '19 felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and six felony counts of sexually abusing animals,' according to state officials and online records. The Holly Hill Police Department in a news release said it launched an investigation in early June. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reached out with a tip about an online account, later linked to McKeown, according to state officials. 'Law enforcement believes he utilized artificial intelligence technology to create (child sexual abuse material) with real children, some of whom may have attended UBIC Academy,' the attorney general's office wrote. 'Initial search warrants revealed that McKeown was disseminating, downloading, and communicating with users on Discord — a popular group chat service — during school hours and while connected to the UBIC Academy Wi-Fi.' The messages included 19 photos of child sexual abuse material and 'nine images of himself engaging in sexual acts with the family pet,' according to the attorney general's office. Devices were seized from the school and the teacher's home, and an investigation was ongoing as of June 20, officials said. McClatchy News reached out to state officials and police for more information about the case and is awaiting a response. Anyone who believes their child could have been tied to the case is asked to reach out to Victim Advocate Coordinator Daisy Gonzalez at 386-248-9435. Tips also can be shared with Detective Cpl. Kelsey Palm at 386-492-0415 or kpalm@ Holly Hill is in the Daytona Beach area, a roughly 60-mile drive northeast from Orlando.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Missing 4-year-old found dead in hot car, Georgia cops say. ‘Loved to give hugs'
A 4-year-old boy vanished and was later found dead inside a hot car in south Georgia, news outlets reported, citing authorities. The child was reported missing Sunday afternoon, June 22, from the Summer Trace Apartments in Metter, the Candler County Sheriff's Office and Metter Police Department told WTOC. During a search of the neighborhood, authorities found his body in the passenger area of a car in the parking lot, the station reported. The coroner's office was called at around 1:30 p.m., and the child was declared dead just before 2 p.m., according to WJCL. He was identified as Kameron Williams, WSAV reported, citing the coroner's office. Authorities didn't say if Kameron was left in the car, or if he got in somehow and became trapped. It's also not clear how long he was inside the vehicle. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the death investigation and an autopsy is pending, a department spokesperson told McClatchy News on June 27. Areas of Georgia saw dangerous heat over the weekend, with temperatures in Metter soaring into the 90s, according to AccuWeather. The low on Sunday was 72. Kameron's family described him as a 'very special kid.' He had autism and was nonverbal, but relatives said he had no issues expressing himself in other ways. 'He loved to give hugs and kisses to the ones that he knew, which expressed his love,' his obituary says. 'When he wanted something, he would grab your hand and guide you.' Kameron attended Metter Elementary School, where administrators said his 'bright smile could light up a room.' 'The Candler County School District and Metter Elementary School are deeply saddened by the loss of Kameron,' Candler County Schools Superintendent Fred 'Bubba' Longgrear told McClatchy News in a statement. 'Our prayers are with the family, friends and the community during this very difficult time.' Authorities didn't release further details but said the investigation is ongoing. Metter is about a 60-mile drive northwest from downtown Savannah. Hot car deaths The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that about 40 children die from heat stroke every year, 'either because they were left or became trapped in a car.' Hot car deaths are most common in the summer, but they can occur at any time, the administration said. The first 'vehicular heatstroke' of the year typically happens in March. 'Leaving a window open is not enough — temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,' according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you see a child alone in a vehicle, officials said you should make sure the child is responsive and if not, immediately call 911.
