Overview
- On June 30, 2026, Melissa Payne and 62-year-old Bart DiGuglielmo clashed over a parking space at a North Lauderdale Walmart and Payne fired one shot that later killed him.
- The Broward County State Attorney’s Office released a closeout memo and roughly 18 minutes of surveillance and dashcam video as part of its decision not to file charges.
- Prosecutors said multiple videos and witness statements show the encounter in detail but concluded they could not prove by clear and convincing evidence that Payne was not in reasonable fear of imminent death or great bodily harm.
- The medical examiner ruled DiGuglielmo’s death a homicide from a gunshot wound, and Payne was briefly detained, read her Miranda rights, and gave a statement that prosecutors say matched the video record.
- DiGuglielmo’s family disagrees with the decision and the case highlights how Florida’s stand your ground immunity and the high legal burden for prosecutors shape charging choices and public debate.