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The Villages
Friday, March 29, 2024

19-year-old Fruitland Park man charged with murder in June shooting

Maurice Latrod Benn Jr.

Two men, including one from Fruitland Park, are behind bars on murder charges stemming from a June shooting in Mount Dora.

Maurice Latrod Benn Jr., 19, who lives at 607 Bidwell St. in Fruitland Park, and David Julian Murrell, 18, of 1024 Morin St. in Eustis, have been charged with felony murder and robbery with a firearm. The duo was already behind bars at the Lake County Jail on Thursday when they were charged with killing 27-year-old Tevin L. Williams in June. Williams died after being shot in the head while his vehicle was parked in his driveway in the 3800 block of W. Old U.S. Hwy. 441, a police report states.

A witness who was in the vehicle with Williams told Lake County sheriff’s deputies that several black males approached the vehicle and shot Williams. She said she fled from the crime scene on foot until she found a local resident who called 911 to report the crime, the report says.

David Julian Murrell

Detectives eventually determined that both Benn and Murrell were at the crime scene at about the time of the murder. A person whose name was redacted from the report told detectives that Benn likely had his hair cut inside a residence near the site of the shooting, the report says.

Benn, who was already in custody in connection with an outstanding warrant for first-degree murder in an Orlando case, allegedly admitted to “being involved” in Williams’ murder. He stated that he was with “Dubs,” who was identified as Murrell, and another man nicknamed “Ricky” and they planned to rob Williams “because they believed him to normally have large amounts of marijuana.” He said after they left a nearby residence they waited until Williams arrived in a vehicle to sell them drugs, the report says.

Benn allegedly told detectives that they approached the vehicle and “Dubs” pulled out a pistol and they began to rob Williams. He said when Williams attempted to close his car door and flee, he held the door open and “Dubs” shot Williams while “Ricky” was watching from the passenger side, the report says.

Benn said the passenger fled from the car on foot and he ran around the corner to Old U.S. Hwy. 441, where he was picked up by a friend that was already on the way to get him, the report says.

On Aug. 19, detectives put together three lineups – one for each suspect – and showed them to a witness who observed Williams’ vehicle in his driveway with the driver’s side door open and the headlights on. The witness identified all three suspects and he confirmed them through their “street names/monikers,” the report says.

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