INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for two Vero Beach men following grand jury indictments on first-degree murder charges in the killings of a grandmother and her pregnant granddaughter late last year.
Shelby Baker, 19, and her unborn child died from multiple gunshots while her grandmother Amanda Baker, 68, was shot and stabbed in what officials said was a planned night attack at their home carried out by the two 20-year-olds on Nov. 10, 2024.
Toby Featherston and Aiden Christman each were indicted July 15 on 5 charges including: burglary of a dwelling with an assault or battery while armed and discharge of a firearm causing great bodily harm; two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm; first-degree murder of an unborn child with a firearm; and attempted first-degree murder with a a firearm and discharge of a firearm or with an edged weapon.
Featherston and Christman were arrested in March. In a news conference at that time announcing the arrests, Sheriff Eric Flowers called the killings “absolutely senseless, just craziness,” and said they were committed by people with a vendetta against the family.
A roughly 50-page report outlined the scope of the investigation and evidence gathered including statements of admission of involvement in the killings.
Investigation details
Through interviews with those who talked with the men after the murders, forensic evidence of items found at the scene and escape route, cell phone and vehicle location data and home surveillance footage, detectives placed Featherston and Christman as the suspects and later secured warrants for their arrest on murder and burglary charges.
Featherston and Christman each pleaded not guilty to the charges in April, according to court filings.
According to the warrant affidavit, during a six-hour questioning session with detectives, Featherston said Christman was responsible for the killings. Christman, however, denied involvement and in his arrest pointed to Featherston.
The 80-year-old grandfather also in the home, reliant on oxygen, survived by hiding. A man described as Shelby Baker’s boyfriend sustained stab wounds during a confrontation with one of the attackers.
Featherston and Christman both attended Vero Beach High School and in recent years both were apprehended for violent episodes directed at their parents, according to the report.
Featherston had been released from prison just days before the murders following a three-year sentence on aggravated battery charges arising from a hammer attack on his father in 2022.
Christman was held in 2020 under the Baker Act in an incident involving his mother. The Florida Mental Health Act, better known as the Baker Act, permits people to be held, voluntarily or involuntarily, in a mental health facility for up to 72 hours if the person is deemed to be a threat to themselves or others.
Featherston had been in a relationship with Shelby Baker and briefly lived at the residence before being trespassed from the home by Amanda Bake in 2021. She reported a handgun belonging to Featherston to law enforcement leading to his arrest.
That episode and his reported threats to “kill her and her husband” are what Flowers said precipitated the murders following his release from prison Nov. 4, 2024. Several statements in the report indicated Featherston was angry with Shelby Baker about their former relationship.
Detectives, a crime scene investigator and Assistant State Attorney William Long attended the Nov. 11, 2024 autopsies performed by Dr. Patricia Aronica.
It was found Shelby Baker had been shot five times across her upper body and torso, also striking the fetus.
Amanda Baker had been shot four times in her torso and back and struck or stabbed eight times by a knife across her head and body. The examiner reported her death was a result of gunshot and stab wounds.
Among the pieces of evidence found at the home were clothing items including a hat and slide-style sandal, matched to clothing seen worn by Christman in images on social media and with matching DNA profile samples.
Camera footage from nearby homes show two men walking toward the home at roughly 3:35 a.m. At 3:44 a.m., the first gunshot was heard in audio recordings lasting 10 seconds and the first person exits the home running south. That’s followed by 4 seconds of additional gunfire. At 3:45 a.m., a second person is captured in footage running from the rear of the home carport area.
Forensic cell phone data was used to identify the location of Christman’s phone around the suspected time of the murders and plotted its whereabouts to the “vicinity of the Baker residence.”
A Nov. 27 search of Christman’s silver Toyota Scion led to the recovery of blood stained clothing items and a rag that contained three DNA profiles and two loaded 9mm magazines.
Christman was arrested on a warrant for several murder, burglary and assault charges March 17 standing at the intersection of 43rd Avenue Southwest and 9th Street Southwest.
Featherston was also arrested March 17 at his probation office upon the execution of a DNA search warrant.
During six hours of questioning, Featherston was said to have altered his account of the evening several times and denied involvement in the murders, according to the arrest report.
He said the murders occurred and he participated, but he was only following behind Christman. who he said entered the home and stabbed Amanda Baker.
He is reported as saying he fought with the boyfriend and only after finding Christman’s gun at his feet did he fire into a bedroom doorway.
Then, he said he left the home and ran along a canal and discarded the knife handle and handgun.
The 9mm handgun was a match to the casings and projectiles in the home. The affidavit states the handgun was reported stolen from a prior family acquaintance of Christman with whom he briefly shared a residence in the Orlando area.
Clothing Featherston said he wore that night was found in his apartment on the second floor of the downtown Vero Theatre Plaza and taken for testing after an initial presence of blood was found.
Featherston identified himself as the person captured in footage walking the pathway where the weapons were found after the killings.
Christman made several statements about what he said took place that night to multiple people questioned by law enforcement, according to the report.
In statements detectives said they obtained, they wrote that Christman told at least one person, “Featherston used (his) firearm to kill Amanda Baker, Shelby Baker and Shelby’s unborn child” while he “stabbed Amanda Baker approximately nine times.”
Death penalty
To determine whether capital punishment is warranted, the state is required to identify the aggravating circumstances, or reasons why a sentence of death is legal and appropriate.
Prosecutors said in court filings they could prove the crimes qualified for seven aggravating factors.
If Featherston or Christman are found guilty of capital murder, the juries that convict them will go through a legal process of weighing aggravating factors that prosecutors will argue support execution or mitigating circumstances that advocate for life in prison. Mitigating factors don’t excuse the crime, but can be considered in determining a sentence.
For a judge to impose the death penalty, the sentence must be recommended by a supermajority, or at least an 8-4 vote by jurors.
If found guilty of first-degree murder during the first phase of a trial, the same jury would then determine a sentence, which can only be life in prison or execution.
Legal affairs reporter Melissa E. Holsman contributed to this report.
Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 2 men indicted in 2024 IRC triple murder accuse each other, court records show
Reporting by Corey Arwood, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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