David Lee Riggins, 42, was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his arm, chest, and back on August 15, 2018, in the Gifford area of Vero Beach, Florida. He was discovered lying in tall grass about 15 feet north of the road in a vacant lot between homes on the 2800 block of 43rd Street and was pronounced dead after being taken to Indian River Medical Center.

Sherman Shelly, 47, a Gifford resident, surrendered to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office shortly after the shooting and claimed he acted in self-defense. Shelly said the confrontation began earlier that morning after Riggins had been served eviction papers and was reportedly agitated and armed with a .38 special revolver; witnesses reported threats and aggressive behavior. Shelly testified that Riggins fired at him twice, that he wrestled away the gun, and then shot Riggins three times. The jury acquitted Shelly of first-degree murder, accepting his self-defense claim, and he was released after the verdict.

The case included a separate violent incident at the Indian River County Jail, where five inmates charged with murder attacked Shelly and were later charged with battery on a detained person. Does anyone have information about the events on 43rd Street that morning or witnessed the confrontation before it turned deadly?