Sarasota woman claims self-defense in 2023 shooting during 'Stand Your Ground' hearing
A Sarasota woman accused of fatally shooting another woman in 2023 appeared in court Friday for a Stand Your Ground hearing alleging she fired a gun in self-defense when she was attacked by the victim in the case.
Courtney Leigh Wadeck, 45, appeared in court wearing an orange Sarasota County Jail jumpsuit having been in jail since her arrest in July. At the end of January, her bail was set to $500,000, according to court documents.
Wadeck is charged with murder in the second degree for fatally shooting a woman who had been staying with Wadeck and her family.
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The 45-year-old took the stand alleging she was attempting to leave her home when she was attacked a second time by the victim, prompting her to fire her gun in self-defense.
A Sarasota judge took the arguments under advisement and is expected to notify both sides when he makes a decision.
Florida law states that “a person is justified in using or threatening to use deadly force if he or she reasonably believes that using or threatening to use such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.”
According to Wadeck's version of events that unfolded in the late-night hours of July 9th, her family had returned home around midnight after running errands. Wadeck said she was in the kitchen sweeping when the victim and her girlfriend returned to the house where they were staying with Wadeck's family until they could find a place.
Earlier in the day, Wadeck had exchanged a text with the victim which seemed to anger the victim. Wadeck alleged that they exchanged words before the victim punched her in the face, leading the two to brawl.
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Wadeck said the victim's romantic partner joined in, pushing Wadeck from behind and causing her to fall to the ground. She was then choked and stomped on until she freed herself and retreated to her bedroom, Wadeck said, at which point she caught her breath, found her gun and placed it in her back pants pocket.
Wadeck alleged she went in search of her shoes so she could leave the house when the victim attacked her again, at which point she pulled out the gun and blindly shot forward, hitting the victim who fell to the floor.
"I didn't mean to, but I did," Wadeck said when asked by her public defender if she'd meant to fire the gun at the victim.
Wadeck returned the gun to her bedroom before she returned to help the victim until police arrived, she said.
Assistant State Attorney Karen Fraivillig pushed to confirm that it wasn't just the victim who was angry that evening, but Wadeck as well, who repeated at least twice that she wasn't angry but irritated.
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Fraivillig's questions also focused on how Wadeck had to search her bedroom for her gun, which she claimed she found tucked into her purse on her bed, and how she deliberately loaded a round in the chamber as she walked out of her bedroom towards the area where the victim and her girlfriend were removing their things from the room they'd been staying in.
The victim's girlfriend, who took the stand earlier in the day according to court documents, also told Sarasota County Sheriff's deputies the night of the shooting that she and the victim had decided to move out of the house, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The witness told police that she and Wadeck's husband attempted to intervene in the first altercation. She added that she heard the gunshot and saw the victim fall and remain unresponsive on the floor.
Despite Wadeck claiming she fired the gun in self-defense, Fraivillig pointed out that Wadeck never told law enforcement that she had to shoot the victim and that this was a "brand new story."
Investigators note in the probable cause affidavit that Wadeck invoked her right to remain silent but did spontaneously mention several times "It was self-defense."
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota woman claims 'Stand Your Ground' in 2023 fatal shooting case
