In a significant development, two individuals have been indicted by a grand jury in Charlotte County for a homicide that spanned across county lines.
State Attorney Amira Fox made the announcement on Thursday afternoon, revealing that Andrew Smith and Melissa Dymond-Demetrowitz have been charged in the fatal shooting of Shawn Patrick Armstrong. The indictment includes charges of first-degree murder with a firearm, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
The indictment stems from a murder case that occurred in September 2022. According to the indictment, between September 8 and September 13, 2022, Smith and Dymond-Demetrowitz conspired to murder Shawn Patrick Armstrong, a resident of Charlotte County.
The unfortunate incident took place on or around September 13, when Armstrong was lured into a wooded area in Southern Charlotte County and shot to death. Disturbingly, the indictment states that the suspects then placed Armstrong’s body in his own vehicle and transported it to Lee County, where they concealed it beneath palm fronds in another wooded area.
Law enforcement apprehended the defendants while they were driving the victim’s vehicle. Furthermore, Andrew Smith has been accused of purchasing the firearm used in the murder.
The investigation into this tragic case is being conducted by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Punta Gorda Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
