Release Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:50 p.m.
Harvey L. Bryant, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach, announced today that Carl Lee Walton, 37 years old, previously residing in the 6000 block of Burton Station Road in Virginia Beach, Virginia, was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Stephen C. Mahan today for convictions of Capital Murder, two counts of First Degree Murder, and two counts of Using a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. The defendant was found guilty of these charges last Thursday, October 15, 2009 after a four-day bench trial. The Judge formally sentenced the defendant to 3 life sentences plus 8 years to run consecutively.
The Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on December 21, 2005, the defendant shot and killed Ronique Ewing and Tonya Smith. Around 11:00 a.m. on December 21, 2005, Virginia Beach Police received a 911 call regarding a burgundy Ford Explorer stuck in a ditch, abandoned, with the engine still running. When police approached the vehicle, they found the body of Ronique Ewing. Upon further investigation, the police found the body of Tonya Smith laying in the roadway. Both victims died from gunshot wounds.
After additional investigation, it was concluded that Walton was good friends with Ewing and had just met Smith. He and the two victims partied the previous night using alcohol and cocaine. In the early morning of December 21, Walton returned home with the victims. Charlotte Coyle, Walton’s live-in girlfriend, stopped at his house to pick up her belongings as the victims were leaving around 10 a.m. Walton theorized that Ewing and Smith had stolen $600 from him. Walton, armed with a Glock 40, went to Ewing’s mother’s house to confront her but Ewing was not there. While there, Walton told Ewing’s mother that her daughter had stolen money from him and he was going to “murder your daughter”. Walton then returned back to his residence with Coyle and her friend following him. Walton then affirmed to Coyle that he was going to kill the two girls for stealing from him. When Smith and Ewing returned to Walton’s house, Walton marched over to the passenger side window and shot Ronique Ewing 4 times, he then shot Tonya Smith twice. After the murders, Walton, covered in blood, drove to Coyle’s house to wash his clothes and make plans to dispose of the evidence.
During the trial, Walton took responsibility for killing Ewing and Smith but said that because of the cocaine and alcohol the night before, he did not remember shooting them. His defense relied on his voluntary intoxicated state.
Carl Walton was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Virginia Beach in 1997 when he shot a man “because he wouldn’t stop banging on my door”. Walton was sentenced to serve 7 years for that killing. Other convictions in Virginia Beach include two concealed weapon charges in 1994 and 1996; transporting a loaded firearm in 1994; assault and battery of a family member and destruction of property in 1995.
In urging the Court to impose the death penalty, Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey Bryant asked, “How many lives does he get to take until required to forfeit his own?”
Commonwealth’s Attorney Harvey L. Bryant, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney David W. Laird and Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Scott M. Lang prosecuted the case. Please call Julie Pickell if additional information is desired.
Similar Press Releases: capital murder, felony, fire arm charges, first degree murder, Harvey Bryant
