ORMOND-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. – The man accused of shooting and killing an off-duty Edgewater police officer is expected to change his plea in court on Monday.
Eduardo Machado had been facing the death penalty in connection with the September shooting at a Circle K gas station on Ocean Shore Boulevard and Wisteria Drive in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
Machado worked as a clerk at the Circle K, where the shooting happened. According to the arrest report, Machado told deputies he was having a bad day, had thought about shooting David Jewell before work, and “walked into the store, did not say anything to the person, and shot him.”
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Prosecutors say the motive remains a mystery, but argue the evidence makes clear the murder was premeditated.
The shooting was captured on camera, and Machado has confessed to the killing. State Attorney RJ Larizza announced his office’s intent to pursue the death penalty shortly after the shooting.
The expected change of plea could alter those plans. No details about a potential deal have been released. In the past, the State Attorney’s Office has agreed not to seek the death penalty in exchange for a life sentence.