Dog park shooting: Jury selection in murder trial begins Monday

Jury selection is underway in a Tampa courtroom on Monday in the trial of a man accused of targeting and killing another man at a dog park because he was gay.

Gerald Radford, who is now 66, is charged with second-degree murder and a hate crime enhancement for the Feb. 2024 shooting death of John Walter Lay.

Shooting death of John Walter Lay

The backstory:

Prosecutors say Radford shot and killed Lay, who was 52, on Feb. 2, 2024, during a struggle at the West Dog Park off North Occident Street near Tampa.

Pictured: John Walter Lay

Pictured: John Walter Lay

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Radford repeatedly harassed Lay for more than two years, calling him a homophobic slur and making derogatory remarks about Lay's sexual orientation.

Radford, however, has maintained his claim that Lay was the aggressor, citing text messages sent prior to the shooting. A judge rejected his "stand your ground" motion in December.

Gerald Radford at his pre-trial hearing in December 2024.

Gerald Radford at his pre-trial hearing in December 2024.

Last week, Radford rejected a plea deal that would have given him a 15-year prison sentence followed by 10 years probation for the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Radford faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.

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What's next:

Jury selection began at 9 a.m. Monday. Once a jury is seated, the trial is expected to last about a week.

The Source: Information for this story was collected by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan, along with details from previous FOX 13 News reports.

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