Two men face second-degree murder charges in the Jan. 2 shooting death of Christopher Coleman in Riviera Beach, but investigators have not conclusively determined who fired the fatal shot. The affidavit describes different evidence against Carlos Peavy Jr. and Travis Javares Towns, according to WPBF; CW34 reported that both men were already behind bars when charged.
Coleman, who was from Lake Worth Beach, was riding in a BMW when it pulled into a community-store parking lot at 2617 President Barack Obama Highway. His friend, Brianna Davis, was driving when shots were fired into the car. Coleman was struck and later died at a hospital; Davis was not injured, according to the affidavit accounts reported by CW34 and WPBF.
The evidence cited against each defendant
For Peavy, investigators cited a palm print on the exterior of a white Mercedes SUV they connected to the shooting and DNA evidence recovered inside the vehicle, according to the affidavit as reported by WPBF. Investigators traced the SUV using surveillance and other records; it was later found abandoned in Boynton Beach. These allegations link Peavy to the vehicle, but do not establish that he fired the fatal shot.
The affidavit cites different evidence against Towns: ballistic and DNA evidence connecting him to ammunition associated with the homicide, according to WPBF. Investigators also cited cellphone-location records and other tracking data as they examined the suspects’ movements. The affidavit cautions that location data alone cannot show who physically possessed a device at a particular time.
Investigators allege Peavy and Towns acted together or assisted in the shooting. Florida law allows a person who commits an offense, or aids or abets its commission, to be charged and punished as a principal; the statute is the legal basis cited for charging both men even though investigators have not established which one fired, as Florida Statutes Section 777.011 provides.
Local homicide figures offer limited context
Riviera Beach police recorded seven homicides in 2023, below the reported average of 10 to 11 a year over the preceding decade, CBS 12 reported. That figure provides historical context for the city, but does not establish a trend beyond the period described or explain Coleman’s killing.
