A tear ran down Spencie Walker's right cheek and he buried it in the shoulder of his blue jailhouse jumpsuit Wednesday morning in a St. Louis County courtroom.
Only the 21-year-old Walker knows whether the tear resulted from the predicament he's in, from the death he's accused of causing, or both.
Walker was charged Wednesday with two counts of second-degree murder in the shooting of Stanley Boody in what police describe as a failed drug deal. It was Duluth's first homicide of the year.
Boody, 35, of Duluth, was shot June 14 in an apartment at 227 W. Third St. and died the next day after about five hours of surgery.
According to the criminal complaint, Boody had set up a marijuana sale at the apartment. When the marijuana was laid on the floor, Walker took out a.45-caliber handgun, pointed it at the people in the room and spoke words to the effect that he was not playing, he was going to rob them and that he would kill all of them.
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Walker struck an unidentified victim in the head with the gun. As that victim was bleeding and fell, Boody tried to intervene and jumped at the defendant. A struggle ensued and two shots were fired. One shot struck Walker and exited through his back.
The other bullet traveled from the right side of Boody's back to his upper left bicep, where it lodged. The preliminary cause of death has been ruled exsanguination -- loss of blood.
Walker spent a week recovering in a Duluth hospital and was arrested Saturday when he was discharged.
St. Louis County prosecutor Mark Rubin told St. Louis County Judicial Officer Gerald Maher that Walker is an extreme threat to public safety and requested that bail be set at $300,000. Maher granted the request.
Walker has a Duluth address, but Rubin said he is originally from another state and didn't appear to have a permanent residence in the area.
Police officers recovered two .45-caliber shell casings at the shooting scene. They also found the gun in the basement area of the home with a round in the chamber, rounds in the magazine and the hammer cocked.
Rubin told Maher that Walker claims to have been shot by a stranger at the door of the apartment. Rubin said Walker continued to be hostile toward law enforcement when he was arrested after running from the scene.
Walker is accused of intentional second-degree murder and second-degree murder while committing or attempting to commit aggravated robbery. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 14.
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St. Louis County Attorney Melanie Ford said no decision has been made on whether to convene a grand jury to consider a first-degree murder charge against Walker.
"Right now, the Duluth Police Department has an ongoing investigation and we will continue to carefully review reports as we get them from the Police Department,'' Ford said. "If the evidence warrants first-degree murder charges, then we will make a decision whether or not to convene a grand jury.''
MARK STODGHILL covers public safety and courts. He can be reached weekdays at (218) 723-5333 or by e-mail at mstodghill@duluthnews.com .
