Charles Bell Jr., a 73-year-old man, has been convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm in the killing of his ex-wife, Patricia Anne Davis, at her Okeechobee home back in 2021. A jury in Osceola County found him guilty after a three-day trial, as the State Attorney's Office reported. He is set to be sentenced on December 17 and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years due to the involvement of a firearm.
Detailing the events leading to the fateful day on Aug. 28, 2021, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 5600 block of Magnolia Court upon the discovery of Ms. Davis by her neighbor, who found her deceased in her yard from multiple gunshot wounds. This same neighbor previously sighted Bell speeding away from Davis' home on a golf cart, and later, Bell even asked him to look after his animals, hinting at having killed someone. Despite their history of marital issues, when the victim did not respond to a welfare check call from the concerned neighbor, the gravity of the situation was not immediately clear.
Bell was found by deputies at his residence, casually riding a lawnmower. Initially, he told officers he visited his ex-wife's house to ask her to clean his house but then left without incident. The evidence, however, contradicted Bell's statement. Several witnesses placed his golf cart at the scene and heard gunshots concurrently. Investigators discovered a handgun and matching ammunition hidden in the woods on Bell's property that matched the shell casings found at the murder scene, leading to his arrest.
