Jurors in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea spent day two of a high-profile murder trial watching surveillance clips and hearing from neighbors who woke up to gunfire the night Coral Springs firefighter Christopher Randazzo was killed in 2019. Prosecutors say the video helps connect two accused men to the scene, while the medical examiner testified that Randazzo died from a single gunshot to the back of the head.
Video Timeline Traces Randazzo’s Last Night
Guests and neighbors staying near the Southern Seas Resort took the stand and described being jolted awake in the early morning hours. One neighbor, Tom Kinsloe, said he heard "a pop and then a flash" outside. Witnesses Cathy Byers and Mark Terry offered similar accounts as prosecutors walked the jury through a timeline that ends at the resort.
That testimony was paired with surveillance footage that prosecutors say shows Randazzo arriving at, and later leaving, a nearby bar before walking in the direction of the resort. Separate video, they argue, places the then-teenage defendants along the same route, according to Local 10.
Medical Examiner: Gunshot To Back Of Head
Medical examiner Gertrude Juste told jurors that Randazzo’s wound was not self-inflicted and ruled the cause of death a gunshot to the back of the head. Her testimony backed up the state’s theory of an execution-style killing rather than any sort of accident or struggle gone wrong, according to Local 10.
Day three of the trial is scheduled to resume Monday, with more witnesses and potentially additional video expected.
Charges And A Third Man’s Guilty Plea
Broward prosecutors have charged the two defendants with first-degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon and conspiracy. A third man, Marco Rico, previously pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact. Investigators allege the suspects stole Randazzo’s iPhone, sneakers, wallet and keys during the robbery, per Firehouse.
Community Still Grieving A Fallen Firefighter
Randazzo, 39, was a firefighter and paramedic with Coral Springs when his body was found outside a hotel near the Southern Seas Resort in October 2019. Early coverage detailed how deputies discovered his body and how colleagues and friends mourned the loss of a first responder, as reported by CBS Miami.
As testimony continues, prosecutors are expected to keep pressing their surveillance-based timeline, while the defense looks for any gaps or inconsistencies in witness recollections. Randazzo’s colleagues and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea residents have been a steady presence in the courtroom, closely following every development.
