Putnam County Defendant convicted of first-degree murder in 2021 shooting

After a two-day trial, a Putnam County jury has returned a verdict of guilty for Oba Carter on charges of First-Degree Murder (Firearm), Attempted Second-Degree Murder (Firearm), and Burglary of a Dwelling while Armed with a Firearm.

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The incident took place on May 23, 2021, when a woman had a man over at her home on North 11th Street in Palatka following a nearby block party.

Carter, who was in an on-and-off relationship with the woman, arrived uninvited. Upon breaking into the house, Carter discovered the man hiding in a closet and proceeded to shoot him multiple times. The victim succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the woman, also shot once in the head, managed to recover from her injuries after receiving medical treatment.

Despite Carter evading authorities for over a year, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, in collaboration with the Palatka Police Department, successfully located and apprehended him in July 2022.

“Domestic homicides make up approximately 20% of all murders we prosecute,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said about the case. “This case is a sad reminder of the potentially deadly nature of relationships that go bad.”

The Palatka Police Department spearheaded the investigation, supported by Seventh Circuit State Attorney’s Office Investigators and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Dunton prosecuted the case for the state, which was presided over by the Honorable Alicia Washington.

The sentencing for Carter is scheduled for May 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., where he faces a mandatory life in-prison sentence for the crimes.

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