Teen Charged as Adult in Fort Lauderdale Murder Case

17-year-old Devonte Martin should technically be tried as a minor in his murder case, but a grand jury has chosen to charge him as an adult because he is nearing his 18th birthday. Because he is being evaluated as an adult, the young man will face the threat of a more serious sentence. He is currently being held without bail in the Broward County jail as he awaits his court date. Martin has been arrested in connection with the murder of a Fort Lauderdale resident. He allegedly shot his victim on the 27th of July.

Court records say that the murdered man, Lawrence Conaway Jr., and his girlfriend were walking through a vacant parking lot when they were approached by Martin. They man had a gun in hand. Martin’s friend admitted to investigators that they stopped their car when the saw Conaway and parked it a ways away. Martin and Conaway had had a previous disagreement and Martin decided he wanted to confront his former nemesis when he saw him on the street.

Martin approached the couple and shot Conaway before running back to his SUV. He then sped away in the car which was driven by a friend. Martin and his friends were staying in an abandoned Florida home. Local detectives discovered Conaway’s body in the middle of the street on West Sunrise Boulevard behind a Home Depot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An hour after the shooting occurred the police conducted a traffic stop and found Martin.

He was taken to the police station and interviewed. He matched the description given by Conaway’s girlfriend, but was wearing different clothes. When the police searched the abandoned home where Martin had taken refuge, they found the camouflage shorts and red shirt allegedly worn but h shooter. The gun found in the bedroom is the same make and model as the casings that were recovered at the murder scene. If you have been charged with murder, then you need an aggressive lawyer on your side. Talk to someone at Parks & Braxton today to get optimal defense on your case.