Alexandra “Lexie” Elise Peck
Michael Harrison Hunt
May 10, 2019
Hunt charged with murder, attempted murder X3 in Cove quadruple shooting
By Mike Cazalas
Panama City News Herald
PANAMA CITY — Michael Hunt, the man initially sought as a “person of interest” in the April 4 quadruple shooting on Allen Avenue that left one woman dead and three people critically injured was charged Friday afternoon with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted felony murder, according to Panama City police.
Panama City police announced the arrest of Hunt on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Alexandra “Lexie” Elise Peck, 19. She was one of four people shot late April 4, with three surviving with critical injuries. Hunt is charged with attempted felony murder in each of those shootings. In addition, police have now also charged Hunt with armed burglary of a dwelling and two counts of failure to register as a sex offender.
Hunt has been in custody on other charges since April 5, one day after four people were shot in the 100 block of Allen Avenue. He was caught the day after the shooting but until Friday was charged with Human Trafficking and
Sexual Assault from another case, as well as being held without bond for failure to appear on a charge of “unlawful sex acts with certain minors” and aggravated assault with a firearm. Hunt appeared for that hearing April 1, then disappeared after the prosecutor announced there was a new warrant out for him for sexual battery but a hard copy of it was not on hand.
Three days later the shootings occurred.
The Panama City Police Department has since been working with a bevy of agencies on the case — they maintained the crime scene for a week to gather evidence — which left many in the Cove area frightened and wondering what had actually happened, particularly after Hunt was picked up the day after the shootings but not charged in connection with them until today.
Police have still released few details about the shootings and did not take any questions today after issuing the press release. They have said the case is of such a nature that public records laws do not apply to much of the information sought and prevents them from releasing certain details. They have also said the public has provided “invaluable” information to investigators.
Hunt, 53 is a registered sex offender who was set for a hearing April 1 on a new sex charge from last fall. Hunt was at the hearing, but when confusion over a new sex charge brought the hearing to a temporary halt, Hunt was gone when court reconvened and the warrant for sexual battery had been found.
Courtroom video obtained by The News Herald shows Hunt and his appointed attorney at the time standing at one podium and the prosecutor at another.
https://www.newsherald.com/news/2019...ruple-shooting
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