PORT ST. JOE — A white man who claimed he shot his black neighbor in self-defense was sentenced to 28 years in prison for second-degree murder.
Judge John Fishel sentenced Walt Butler, 61, to a minimum mandatory 28 years during a sentencing hearing Thursday; Butler will not be eligible for a reduced sentence.
“I’ve put quite a bit of thought and consideration into the sentence,” said Circuit Judge John Fishel.
Prosecutor Bob Sombathy had asked Fishel to put Butler in prison for the rest of his life for shooting his neighbor, Everitt Gant, in the head with a .22-caliber rifle. Gant had gone to Butler’s door to confront him about using racial epithets within earshot of black children in their Port St. Joe neighborhood.
Gant was alive and sitting in a chair on Butler’s porch when first responders arrived at the rural residence in July 2012, and he was able to walk with assistance to the ambulance. But the gunshot wound caused his brain to swell and he died six weeks. He was 32.
Witnesses testified during a pretrial hearing that Butler had been drinking heavily that day. His friends said they knew of Butler’s racists beliefs, but the jury didn’t find Butler targeted Gant because of his race.
After shooting Gant, Butler barricaded himself in his home and finished eating his dinner. When he was arrested, Butler told Gulf County Sheriff Joe Nugent that he didn’t know what he was in trouble for because he “only shot a (racial epithet).”
Butler claimed he shot Gant in self-defense, though he didn’t seek immunity under the Stand Your Groud law. Witnesses testified at his November trial that there were no words, threats or warnings exchanged between the men before Butler opened fire. Sombathy said Butler shot Gant down as if he were a dog.
Before his sentence was read Thursday, Butler asked to address the court and apologized to the Gant family. Butler said that he, too, had lost a son and knew how hard it was.
“I liked Everett a lot,” Butler said. “I want to make it perfectly clear that I didn’t intentionally kill the boy.”
Sombathy spoke on behalf of Gant’s father, who opted not to attend the sentencing. According to Sombathy, Everett told his father that Butler had racist sensibilities, but that he planned to win him over with kindness.
Butlerwill be credited with the 501 days he already spent in the Gulf County Jail. Sims requested Butler be kept as close to Gulf County as possible due to the proximity of family.
Sims said that he plans to file a notice of appeal for the sentence within 30 days.
The Star’s Wes Locher contributed to this report.