Carrie Myers
White female
Age at time: 46
Weapon: gun
Donovan Blain Adams
White male
Age at time: 33
Weapon: gun and concrete block
injured
Case type:
Roommate dispute
Location:
Defendant's Home
Initiator:
Disputed
Witnesses:
No
Case year:
2006
Location details: Outside the defendant and victim's home in North Fort Myers, Lee County, on June 10, 2006
What happened: During an argument, Carrie Myers shot her roommate Donovan Adams, who fled and hid under a car. When she walked by, he pulled her to the ground, smashed her head with a concrete block, took her gun and shot her in chest. Myers died.
The outcome: Adams was initially charged with willful unpremeditated murder but a grand jury decided not to charge. The jury did not release a full report on its decision. The case is officially listed as self-defense and does not cite the stand your ground law.
Investigating agency: Lee County Sheriff
Case decision made by: Grand Jury
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
 |
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Was the victim armed? |
|
||
Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
|
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Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
|
||
Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
|
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Was the defendant on his or her property? |
|
||
Did someone witness the attack? |
|
||
Was there physical evidence? |
|
Source: The News Press, Aug. 15, 2006.
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
