Crime & Public Safety
Trial opens in Alachua County for 2017 shooting death near SE U.S. Highway 301
Three men are on trial in Alachua County on first-degree murder charges in the 2017 fatal shooting of a woman near southeast U.S. Highway 301. Opening statements and the first day of testimony took place Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, as the state presented evidence prosecutors say links the defendants to the death.
Prosecutors told jurors they will rely on cell phone data, including Google geo-fencing information, canine searches, and other investigative work. The court heard that security cameras did not record video of the shooting but captured audio prosecutors describe as a “primal scream.” The state also referenced a fourth man, Herb Smith, who they allege was involved and who died in 2020.
The prosecution called eight witnesses Wednesday: two investigators, two K-9 deputies, the medical examiner, and people connected to the woman and the defendants. Deputy Chris Griseck of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office testified about K-9 searches and evidence collection. The medical examiner walked jurors through the autopsy, and a witness testified that the woman told her boyfriend, “I believe we’re going to die.”
Jury selection resulted in twelve jurors — nine men and three women — plus two alternates. The three defendants being tried together are Nikenson Perin, Kenneth Altidor, and Blake Jackson. Court is scheduled to resume Thursday morning at 8:30, and the trial is expected to continue through the end of the week. No verdicts or convictions have been reported; the matters described are allegations presented by the prosecution and are before the jury.
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