Three men pleaded not guilty to varying counts of murder and attempted murder last week.
Throughout September, 41-year-old Horace Brown, 61-year-old Randall Laws and 29-year-old Shybri Steverson were arrested in Escambia County on murder charges, and all three pleaded not guilty to their charges during Friday's arraignment hearing.
Here's what to know about their cases.
Randall Laws allegedly shot woman in face, believing her to be harasser
Laws, a registered sex offender, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, is charged with the second-degree murder of Virginia Meyer after he allegedly shot her in the face at his home on the 4100 block of Lillian Highway on Sept. 11. He's also charged with possessing a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon.
According to his arrest report, Laws was sitting in the back of an ECSO cruiser when he made several statements that included, "It was an accident, I didn't recognize her, the hoodie was wrapped around her head," and "I shot her."
Meyer and her boyfriend, Tyler Phillips, were at Laws' home earlier in the day to discuss renting a shed on his property. Upon agreement, Laws gave Meyers and Phillips a key to the shed "at which time they left to gather their belongings which were in at another location."
In case you missed it: Gulf Breeze doctor Elaine Sharp faces new charges as 10 others charged in pill mill scheme
"Later in the evening the two then traveled back to 4114 Lillian Highway where they stopped by the front gate to the residence so that Meyer could retrieve the key from her backpack," the report says. "Phillips stated that as Meyer was looking through her backpack a gunshot rang out, at which time Meyer fell to the ground.
"Phillips immediately noticed that Meyer was shot in the face," the report adds. "Phillips stated that he then heard Randall Laws yelling from the garage something to the effect of, 'Do you want some too?'"
After deputies transported Laws back to the department, he told investigators that he's "been having problems with people entering his property and harassing him."
"Randall Laws stated that people would come on his property at night and bang on his walls and try to videotape him because he was a registered sexual offender."
During the questioning, Laws told investigators that he came in contact with Meyers and "wanted to help her and her boyfriend by renting them a shed to stay in" since they were homeless.
Laws is held in Escambia County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 17.
Horace Brown accused of shooting brother over argument with mother
On Sept. 14, Escambia County Sheriff's deputies were called out to a home on the 2800 block of North Highway 95A where they found Davalous Brown, Horace Brown's brother, with a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
The victim was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital to undergo surgery for his injuries. Davalous Brown survived the shooting.
When deputies asked Horace Brown about the incident, he told them his brother has violent outbursts due to previous "mental issues" and he heard his mother arguing with him.
"(Horace Brown) ran into the residence and stated that his mother was being attacked and that he 'boom boom boom boom' indicating that he shot Davalous Brown," law enforcement reports said.
The mother also spoke with law enforcement and said she and Davalous Brown began arguing, and she attempted to keep her son out the house. While trying to keep her son out of the house, Davalous Brown allegedly punched her in the face and went into the house.
At that point, Horace Brown entered the residence and shot his brother once. The mother told law enforcement that Horace Brown "did not need to do that" and she was "at no point in fear for her life."
Horace Brown is charged with attempted second-degree murder and is held without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 10.
Shybri Steverson is charged with 2023 Blount Street homicide
Deputies arrested Steverson Sept. 13 for the November 2023 shooting death of Guy Dixon on West Blount Street.
Paramedics arrived to the scene where they found Dixon with a "small hole" in his lower left back and an exit wound on his right front chest with "pieces of his lung protruding."
Dixon's girlfriend told law enforcement that they drove to Blount Street to speak with Steverson, and while there they began arguing over a package.
"(Dixon's girlfriend) stated that the entire time the argument was going on, Steverson was waving around a gun that was bigger than a pistol but shorter than a rifle with a wood stock and a large diameter barrel," Steverson's report said.
During the argument, Dixon walked to the back of a house where Steverson was when "Steverson raise(ed) the gun and shot Dixon in the back."
Steverson is charged with second-degree murder and is held without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Nov. 26.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: 3 Pensacola men plead not guilty to murder charges following September arrests
Local News
