An Ormond-by-the-Sea convenience store worker was sentenced to life in prison Monday after pleading no contest to first-degree murder for the shooting of an off-duty police officer.
Eduardo Labrada Machado received a life sentence from Judge Elizabeth Blackburn following his plea in the September 15, 2025, killing of Edgewater Police Officer David Jewell.
According to evidence in the case, Labrada Machado was working his shift at the convenience store when Officer Jewell walked inside. Surveillance video captured Labrada Machado exiting the store, retrieving a jacket from the passenger side of his vehicle, and walking back inside. He immediately pulled a firearm from the jacket and shot Jewell at the front counter.
Once Jewell fell, Labrada Machado stood over him and shot him multiple times in the head. In total, Jewell was shot 20 times and died at the scene.
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Labrada Machado was arrested shortly after leaving the store. He later told detectives he was having a “rough start” to his day and had thought about shooting Jewell during his drive to work. Officials noted that Jewell lived nearby and frequently visited the store.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office led the investigation, and Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak prosecuted the case for the State of Florida.
Following the sentencing, State Attorney R.J. Larizza released a statement on the resolution of the case.
“The stark brutality of this case shocked our entire community,” Larizza said. “The defendant’s plea ensures he will never be released from prison. I hope that avoiding a long and painful trial process will give the family some measure of peace. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
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