Wallace’s trial set for April 2023 in killing of officer Jason Raynor
DAYTONA BEACH — Saying he did not want the case to grow stale, a judge has set a death penalty trial for April 2023 for Othal Wallace, who is charged in the killing of Daytona Beach Police Officer Jason Raynor.
Wallace, 29, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer in the June killing of the 26-year-old Raynor. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The killing set off a manhunt that ended several days later at a treehouse on some rural land near Atlanta.
Wallace appeared on Tuesday before Circuit Judge Raul Zambrano for a case management conference in a courtroom at the Volusia County Branch Jail, where Wallace is being held without bond.
Zambrano said during the hearing that he wanted to see progress in preparing the case for trial.
“We can’t just put this on simmer until we all get unbusy,” Zambrano said. “That’s not going to happen.”
Toward the end of the seven-minute hearing, Zambrano directed his attention toward Wallace, who stood with his wrists shackled to his waist; he was wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and a face mask, as is routine for inmates.
“Mr. Wallace, have you had good communication with your lawyers throughout?” Zambrano asked. Wallace nodded his head. Wallace’s lead defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Rosemarie Peoples, did not attend the hearing. Wallace was represented by Assistant Public Defender Sara Altes.
In response to Zambrano’s questions, Altes said that none of the 65 witnesses listed in court files had been questioned yet because the defense was still gathering evidence.
Zambrano then asked for the status of forensic tests.
Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak said that the majority of lab results had been returned and the firearms results had been sent to the defense.
Urbanak said he was still waiting for additional materials from federal agencies, primarily with Wallace’s arrest in Georgia, which he will turn over to the defense once he receives it.
Raynor was shot in June, prompting an outpouring of support from the community for the young police officer and his family.
Wallace was sitting in his car June 23 outside an apartment building at 133 Kingston Ave. in Daytona Beach when Raynor tried to question him, according to a report and body camera video. Wallace had been living at the address with his girlfriend, who said Wallace was the father of her children.
Raynor had been patrolling the area because residents had complained about criminal activity.
Raynor asked Wallace if he lived there, the officer’s body camera video showed. Wallace stood up as Raynor told him to sit back down in the car. The video then became shaky before it ended.
Wallace shot Raynor in the head, according to police. Raynor never unholstered his gun.
Wallace was found about 2:30 a.m. June 26 in the treehouse in DeKalb County outside of Atlanta by a law enforcement task force.
Raynor died Aug. 17 at Halifax Health Medical Center, 55 days after he was shot.