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Circle K Clerk Who Killed Off-Duty Edgewater Officer Sentenced to Life Without Parole

The no-contest plea removed the risk of a death sentence.

Overview

  • Eduardo Labrada Machado, 25, pleaded no contest Monday in Volusia County and received life in prison without parole for the murder of Officer David Jewell.
  • Investigators say surveillance video from Sept. 15, 2025 shows Machado leave the Ormond-by-the-Sea store, retrieve a jacket, return, and shoot Jewell multiple times at close range.
  • Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood called the attack a targeted assassination and said the clerk fired 24 shots in less than two minutes.
  • Prosecutors had prepared to seek the death penalty if a jury convicted Machado, a risk he waived by entering the plea.
  • Jewell’s family has a $20 million wrongful-death suit pending against Circle K that alleges negligent hiring and retention after warnings about Machado.