BUNNELL, FL – Additional charges have been added against Luke Ingram, 19, accused of murdering an elderly family member earlier this month in Palm Coast.
Ingram, who was originally arrested for second degree murder, was indicted the Grand Jury for first degree murder on November 28th. He was also charged with sexual battery with a deadly weapon by the Flagler County Grand Jury. Ingram is believed to have sexually battered the elderly relative while the relative was in the process of dying.
The current charges pending against Ingram are now: first degree murder, sexual battery with a deadly weapon, domestic battery by strangulation, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer without violence, and resisting an office without violence.
“The information gathered by our Detectives during this case revealed just how gruesome and violently he murdered one family member and severely attacked another and then attacked our deputies,” Sheriff Staly said. “I commend our detectives for collecting the evidence needed for the Grand Jury indictment and appreciate State Attorney R.J. Larizza and his team for taking this gruesome case to the Grand Jury and getting an indictment. This was a team effort to seek justice for the victims and I hope he spends the rest of his life in prison, if he doesn’t face the death penalty.”
Flagler County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Clermont Court in Palm Coast at approximately 2:56am on Wednesday after a 911 caller advised that a man had shown up at her front door claiming that he had been attacked and needed help. Upon arrival, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Deputies made contact with a subject who advised that he had been attacked by a family member. The victim advised that he believed the suspect had also attacked a second family member within the residence.
Deputies then responded to the location where the attacks occurred and located the suspect standing near what appeared to be a severely injured or deceased male. The suspect was standing next to a blunt object which appeared to have been used in the attack. Deputies ordered the suspect out of the residence, which he did, but then refused to comply further with Deputies. The suspect physically resisted arrest and was tased by Deputies and eventually detained so fire/rescue personnel could safely enter the residence to render medical aid to the victim. The victim was pronounced deceased at 3:24am by paramedics from significant blunt force trauma.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Major Case Unit was called to the scene and began to investigate the disturbance as a homicide. The Major Case Unit was assisted by the Community Policing Division, Real Time Crime Center, Digital Forensics Unit, FCSO Crime Scene Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Medical Examiner’s Office, and the 7th Circuit State Attorney’s Office Homicide Investigation Unit.
The suspect was transported to the Flagler County Courthouse to get a better understanding of what had occurred at the residence. After several brief interactions with detectives, the suspect attempted to escape by pulling his handcuffed arms through his legs and attacking FCSO Major Case Detectives and Uniformed Deputies present. After a significant struggle and multiple taser deployments, he was again subdued and transported to AdventHealth-Palm Coast for medical clearance before being taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. One Major Case Detective was treated at Advent Health-Palm Coast with non-life-threatening injuries. The Detective was treated and released and is expected to make a full recovery.
