A Polk County jury has convicted 21-year-old Auburndale resident Kyle Herrington of second-degree murder in the October 11, 2023 killing of 32-year-old Porchia Crossley, ruling that his self-defense claim did not hold up. Investigators say video of the encounter undercut Herrington’s Stand Your Ground argument, and he is now awaiting sentencing.
The shooting and arrest
On Oct. 11, 2023, Auburndale police rushed to a reported shooting on Century Boulevard and found Crossley with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers quickly detained Herrington, who told them he was the shooter and said he had been on the phone with 9-1-1. Investigators later said the two knew each other and had argued before the shooting, according to FOX 13.
Video contradicts 'Stand Your Ground' claim
Detectives later obtained video that they say told a very different story from the one Herrington offered. The footage reportedly shows Crossley walk up to Herrington and exchange words, then turn away and head toward her vehicle. As she walks off, Herrington follows and fires roughly three to four shots into the back of her head, killing her instantly. Prosecutors leaned hard on that video in court, and the jury ultimately sided with their version of events, as reported by West Orlando News.
What prosecutors showed at trial
In the courtroom, prosecutors used the video and other investigative evidence to dismantle Herrington's self-defense story and urged jurors to see the shooting as an unprovoked attack on a woman who was walking away. Early reports noted that the dispute was allegedly over marijuana, a detail the state used to frame the confrontation and its rapid escalation, according to FOX 13.
Evidence handling and next steps
Investigators say multiple search warrants turned up cellphones and firearms, which were sent for lab analysis, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office Forensics Investigations Unit handled the crime scene and major evidence processing. Herrington is set to be sentenced at a later date. The Auburndale Police Department publicly thanked its partner agencies after what it called another successful homicide prosecution, according to West Orlando News.
