WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A Walton County man has been sentenced to two concurrent life sentences for first-degree premeditated murder and armed robbery, according to State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden.
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Ms Bowden Madden announced that the Honorable J. Ryan Love sentenced Shawn Richard Bennett to life in the Florida Department of Corrections. A jury found Mr Bennett guilty as charged on August 14, 2025. The sentence was handed down on October 7.
According to the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit, the case began on August 11, 2021, when the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) investigated a missing persons report. Deputies were able to track the victim’s vehicle to various locations in both Walton and Okaloosa counties.
While investigating these locations, WCSO deputies reportedly discovered the victim in a small, freshly dug grave. In the days following the discovery, the WCSO, working with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), arrested Mr Bennett on unrelated charges and located property belonging to the deceased victim, the State Attorney’s Office said.
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Mr Bennett’s conviction resulted from a joint investigation involving the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Josh Mitchell prosecuted the case on behalf of Ms Bowden Madden.
