State Attorney Indicts Three in Niceville Murder Case

The State Attorney’s Office for Florida’s First District announced indictments for three men in relation to the killings of two men in Niceville earlier this year.

State Attorney Ginger Madden announced indictments for First Degree Felony Murder, Second Degree Felony Murder with a Firearm and Robbery with a Weapon.

The State Attorney’s Office will pursue Brenden J. Carson, Kaland Karon Jones and Isaiah Lamer Luna for all charges.

Assistant State Attorney Brooke J. Davis will prosecute the case on behalf of the people of the State of Florida.

Leading up to the indictment.

The indictment announcement from the Florida State Attorney’s Office has been almost 10 months coming. Last month, we told you that the three men remained in jail on charges relating to the killings of Bryson Mitchem and Brandon DeQuan James.

According to the Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts Website, a felony plea date is set for December 22nd. A pretrial hearing remains in place for January 9th.

We will bring you more information as we find or receive it.

What’s an Indictment, Anyway?

Great Question! An indictment, which is also called a true bill or a presentment, is when a formal accusation of a crime is made by a grand jury and given to a court to start trial procedures.

An indictment needs to establish where the trial can take place, called jurisdiction, and provide reasonable notice to the defendants of the charges they face at trial. The indictment also allows the court the power to pronounce a judgment if there is a conviction and prevents a person from being tried for the same crime twice (double jeopardy).

In the United States, a grand jury indictment is required by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.

If the alleged crimes were supposedly committed by more than a single person (as with this case), everyone accused can be tried on the same indictment.