A verdict was returned in the case of a Central Florida homeless man who stabbed a woman to death on a park bench.
After a two-day trial, a Volusia County jury found defendant Michael Shaw guilty as charged of First-Degree Murder. Immediately following the verdict, the defendant was sentenced to life in prison for the crime.
In the early evening of October 16, 2019, Shaw, who was homeless at time, took methamphetamine. As the night wore on, he came across the victim sleeping on a park bench in downtown DeLand.
After pacing near the woman for two minutes, he took out his hunting knife and stabbed her multiple times before taking the knife to his own throat.
The victim died from her injuries at the scene. The defendant recovered from his self-inflicted injuries.
Shaw, who has documented mental illnesses, purchased the hunting knife less than 24 hours before the murder.
The case was investigated by the DeLand Police Department. Assistant State Attorneys Mark Interlicchio and Helen Schwartz successfully tried the case for the state. The Honorable Elizabeth Blackburn presided over the case and pronounced sentence.
