Palmetto man could spend life in prison after fatal shooting, record show
A Palmetto man could spend the rest of his life in prison after killing another man at a homeless camp.
Eric Lee Pompey Jr., 30, pleaded guilty Jan. 26 to second-degree murder with a firearm in the killing of 34-year-old Kiefer Coxwell Sr., according to court records, on the morning his jury trial was scheduled to begin in Manatee County.
Circuit Judge Teri K. Dees scheduled sentencing for May 28. Second-degree murder is punishable by up to life in prison under Florida law.
Pompey’s attorney, Dustin Wagner, declined to discuss the case in detail in response to a request for comment from the Bradenton Herald.
“Any case involving the loss of a life is tragic, and out of respect for the family, I think it’s best to keep my comments limited,” Wagner said.
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The investigation began March 15, 2023, when a 911 caller reported finding Coxwell dead inside a makeshift shelter at a wooded homeless camp near the 2000 block of U.S. 301 in Palmetto, according to an arrest report.
Palmetto Police Department officers said they found Coxwell, also known as “Boots,” with multiple gunshot wounds. Detectives recovered several 9 mm shell casings from the ground near his body, according to the arrest report.
Investigators later determined Coxwell had been killed the night before, a timeframe they say is consistent with a nearby tow yard employee who reported hearing about a dozen gunshots around 8 p.m.
Detectives identified Pompey, who lived at a separate homeless camp within walking distance of Coxwell’s camp, as a person of interest after witnesses placed him near the scene around the time gunshots were heard, according to an arrest report.
Conviction in late-night Palmetto shooting
Surveillance footage from a nearby business showed Pompey being dropped off near his camp at 7:47 p.m. and, about an hour later, recorded an individual walking east toward Coxwell’s camp, the report states. Detectives wrote that the timing aligned with witness accounts of when gunfire was heard.
Witnesses told investigators Pompey left their camp that night saying he needed to “go take care of something,” according to the arrest report. About 20 to 30 minutes later, the witness reported hearing several gunshots from the direction of Coxwell’s camp.
The same witness later told detectives Pompey returned one to two hours afterward and threatened to kill anyone who spoke to law enforcement about what they heard, the report states.
Detectives later recovered a message from Pompey’s phone sent earlier that day stating, “Ok. I need to go handle something,” the arrest report states.
In another exchange, Pompey asked that a person named “Josh” be brought to the camp, then typed but did not send a message stating, “I don’t want him near Boots. I’d hate for him to get caught in the middle of live rounds.” Instead, detectives noted Pompey sent a screenshot of the unsent message, which investigators characterized as an attempt to avoid keyword detection.
Witness info led to arrest, Palmetto police say
Investigators determined the casings recovered near Coxwell’s body were likely fired from a newer generation 9 mm Glock. Witnesses told detectives Pompey owned multiple firearms, including a Glock Model 45, and photographs on his phone showed him holding such a weapon, according to the arrest report.
The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was not recovered at the time of Pompey’s arrest, according to detectives.
Pompey admitted knowing Coxwell and told investigators the victim had stolen from him in the past, according to the report. A witness also told detectives there may have been a romantic relationship between Pompey and the woman who reported Coxwell’s death.
Detectives previously said they believed Pompey acted alone.
Police arrested Pompey a little over a week after the killing, according to court records.
The case remained pending for nearly three years, with multiple case management hearings and delays, before being set for a January 2026 jury trial, according to court records. Pompey entered his guilty plea in open court on the morning trial was scheduled to begin.
Pompey remains in custody at the Manatee County Jail awaiting sentencing, according to jail records.
