Jury selection began Monday in the second-degree murder trial of Walt Butler, with State Attorney Robert Sombathy and Deputy Public Defender Mark Sims interviewing 83 Gulf County residents. By the end of the day, 23 potential jurors had been released.
Circuit Court Judge John Fishel aims to have a jury of six with two alternates seated by noon Tuesday. Once the jury is empaneled, the trial will begin.
Butler is charged with shooting and killing Everett Gant in July of last year in Port St. Joe. Prosecutors say Gant approached Butler’s Pine Ridge apartment after Butler had been accused of using racial slurs directed at children in the apartment complex. Butler allegedly shot Gant between the eyes with a .22 rifle and left him bleeding on the doorstep before calling 911 and sitting back down to finish his dinner.
He expressed inconvenience at being arrested for shooting a “(racial epithet),” according to the arresting affidavit. Gant died of his injuries six weeks later.