The Brevard County Grand Jury returned a first-degree premeditated murder indictment against David Wayne Slaton today (Oct. 13) in connection with the Oct. 6, 2005 murder of Polk County resident John Gavin.

Slaton, 33, lived in Port St. John in 2005 when he brought the 71-year-old victim from Lakeland to work for him. He was killed, his body burned, and buried. Law enforcement was unable to identify the victim until March 2007 at which time they obtained a DNA confirmation.

The Grand Jury heard testimony from a crime scene investigator and sheriff’s homicide agent before returning the indictment. Slaton has been held at the Brevard county Jail without bond since his arrest on Sept. 19 and is scheduled for a hearing on the formal charges Wednesday.

Attention Editors: Previous reports described the victim as homeless. That is incorrect. New investigative information revealed he was a resident of Lakeland.