Volusia grand jury hands up indictments: 1st-degree murder in Ormond Beach New Year's bar shooting; 1st-degree murder in Monday's Deltona drug-debt slaying

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NEWS FlASH: Christian Pursley, shown at far left, was indicted Wednesday by a Volusia County grand jury charging him with 1st-degree murder in the gunshot slaying of Keith Roberts on New Year's outside the Rockin' Ranch bar. Kendall Rattley, shown closer left, was indicted by the same grand jury, upholding his arrest on a charge of first-degree murder in Monday's shooting of Deltona resident Erin Gray inside her garage.
You can read the indictment documents by clicking the attachments below.

DELAND -- The Volusia County grand jury handed up indictments today in two unrelated homicide cases involving gunshot slayings, that now empower State Attorney R.J. Larizza to seek the death penalty at trial for either or both accused killers.

Christian Pursley of Ormond Beach was indicted on charges of first-degree murder in the New Year's shooting of Keith "Shorty Roberts outside the Rockin' Ranch as the victim tried to leave in his vehicle with the alleged gunman's estranged wife, Shannon.

And Kendall Rattley of DeLand was indicted on charges of first-degree murder in Monday's shooting of Deltona resident Erin Gray inside her garage while trying to collect on a purported drug debt.

The indictments were handed up this morning by the grand jury to Circuit Judge Randell Rowe at the Volusia County Courthouse in DeLand.

The grand jury actions are legal precursors that now set the stage for State Attorney Larizza to decide whether to seek the death penalty at trial for either or both accused murders.Whatever direction he takes these cases, his offiice is not tipping its hand.

State attorney spokesman Chris Kelly released the folowing statement on that very issue shortly after the indictments were annoiunced: "In every case of first-degree murder, the office undertakes a process to determine whether the death penalty is appropriate. Once that process has taken place, we will make an announcement on whether we will seek the death penalty."