Brevard Grand Jury Issues

Indictments in June 24 Murder in Melbourne

            The Brevard County Grand Jury returned a first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm indictment against 34-year-old Larcess Christian, Palm Bay, for the June 24 death of Quintin Salley. The Jury also charged Christian with attempted first-degree murder with great bodily harm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

            Prosecutors earlier filed charges of aggravated battery while inflicting great bodily harm, shooting into a building, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of burglary of a dwelling against Christian, who was arrested in July. These charges were incorporated into the indictment.

            All of the charges except the two burglary counts stem from two days in June when Christian was attempting to kill an acquaintance in Melbourne, said Assistant State Attorney Michael Hunt who presented the case to the Grand Jury. Quintin Salley was innocently present when he was felled by gunfire on June 24. A child’s bedroom was pierced by an errant bullet on June 23. The burglaries on July 23 arose from Christian’s attempt to elude police by kicking out the walls of apartments adjoining the one in which he was hiding in a run for freedom. The firearms charges stem from both the June 23 and 24 events.

            Hunt said the Grand Jury heard testimony on Tuesday from two Melbourne crime scene technicians, a Melbourne detective, and a surviving victim of the crimes. Christian was ordered held without bond on the murder and attempted murder charges and had $300,000 bond set on the remaining six counts. He is scheduled to make a first appearance on the charges at the Brevard County jail on Wednesday.

Lynne Bumpus-Hooper
Communications and Research Assistant
for State Attorney Norm Wolfinger
office--321-617-7548
website--sa18.state.fl.us
pager--321-635-3648