Marcell Jerrill Waldon was found guilty by a jury late Wednesday of brutally murdering former Lakeland City Commissioner Edie Yates Henderson and her husband, David Henderson, in their Lake Morton home in November 2020.
Waldon was guilty on all 10 charges, including two first-degree murder charges, burglary of a dwelling with assault, assault and battery while armed with a firearm, two counts of kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, attempted arson, arson, grand theft of a motor vehicle and tampering with physical evidence. Another charge of forgery was thrown out earlier this week.
The trial will now enter the penalty phase, and Waldon, 39, faces a possible death sentence if eight of the 12 jurors, plus the judge, agree he should die for the crimes.
The jury took just over two hours to reach its verdict Wednesday. The morning began with closing arguments from the prosecution and defense. The court broke for lunch, then Circuit Judge J. Kevin Abdoney spent more than an hour and a half instructing the jurors on the laws they were to follow in order to decide whether Waldon was guilty.