A second man was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Jayton Knowles, 44.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A second man has been charged with the murder of a man who was shot Monday at the Motel 6 near the Vero Beach exit of Interstate 95.
Montrell Rolle, 21, was charged Thursday with first-degree murder with a firearm.
The victim, 44-year-old Jayton Knowles, had named a different man as his shooter after stumbling into the IHOP in front of the hotel about 7:30 a.m with a gunshot wound in his chest, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Knowles, of the 3900 block of 47th Place, died two hours later after being airlifted to Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute in Fort Pierce.
The man Knowles said shot him — Jordan Dawkins, 20, of the 4800 block of 29th Avenue, was charged Monday with first-degree murder.
But video surveillance revealed Rolle, a homeless Vero Beach man, was the one who actually fired the two shots, according to his arrest warrant.
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Dawkins told investigators he and three others went to the motel to confront Knowles. He said Knowles had robbed Dawkins’ girlfriend of $3,000 and hit Dawkins in the face with a gun two days before, according to arrest records.
Dawkins said he, Rolle and two others were out in the early-morning hours Monday when they spotted Knowles’ red van in the parking lot of the Motel 6,8820 20th St. They parked and waited, deputies said.
« Dawkins stated that Rolle was there to help him fight Knowles, if needed, to get his money back, » the warrant said. « Dawkins stated that just as he and his crew were about to leave, he observed Knowles walking across the parking lot. »
Dawkins and Rolle exited their vehicle and approached Knowles, investigators said.
« Dawkins stated that as he began to wrestle with Knowles by the motel room door, he heard shots. Dawkins and Rolle then ran back to the vehicle and fled the scene, » according to the warrant.
Dawkins told investigators his 9 mm gun was in his pocket and he wasn’t sure how it came out. He suggested the victim may have shot himself as they « tussled, » according to arrest reports.
Video surveillance, however, painted a different picture.
Within three seconds of exiting his vehicle, Dawkins was seen on video « physically engaged with the victim, » a black firearm in his Dawkins’ right hand, the warrant said.
Rolle was seen exiting the vehicle two seconds after Dawkins, a firearm also in his right hand, the warrant said.
« As the victim is getting to his feet at 7:31:42, Rolle can be seen pointing the firearm directly at the victim. The victim gets to his feet at 7:31:43, and runs south away from Rolle. A second later, Rolle appears to shoot twice at the victim, » according to the warrant.
Detectives recovered two bullet casings at the scene.
The video evidence is described as being of very high quality.
« Faces can be clearly seen, » deputies reported.
Rolle was identified by a detective who has had numerous encounters, according to the warrant.
Both Rolle and Dawkins were being held without bail Friday in the Indian River County Jail.
A charge of first-degree murder indicates the crime was intentional and premeditated. It can be punishable by death in Florida.
