Homeowner kills accused intruder, but someone else is being charged, FL cops say

A violent home invasion that ended with one suspect killed took a surprising turn when a murder charge was filed against the dead man’s accomplice in the alleged crime, according to officials in Florida.

There is no doubt that it’s the homeowner who fired the shots that killed 20-year-old Marcel James Williams, the St. Petersburg Police Department says.

However, “under state law, an accomplice can be charged with murder, including in the case of a home invasion, if someone dies during the commission of the crime,” the department told McClatchy News in a May 5 email.

“That includes anyone who takes part in planning, organizing or participating in the home invasion even if they did not physically enter the home or pull the trigger.”

So Ja’quavius Corde Daniels, 22, is now facing a charge of felony first-degree murder, along with charges of carrying a concealed weapon in commission of a felony and armed trespassing, jail records show.

The shooting happened around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, April 16, when a man confronted two armed strangers in his house on 40th Street North, police said.

“The homeowner fired shots and injured one of the suspects, Marcel Williams. He was transported to Orlando Health Bayfront, where he died of his injuries. The second suspect fled from the home,” police said.

Daniels turned himself in on May 1, jail records show.

Investigators have not said if the homeowner was injured or how he was alerted to the intrusion.

St. Petersburg is about a 20-mile drive southwest from downtown Tampa.

This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM with the headline "Homeowner kills accused intruder, but someone else is being charged, FL cops say."