DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Devonte Smokes, 30, of Volusia County, was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison following a no-contest plea to multiple charges, including Second-Degree Murder.
The sentence stems from a May 31, 2023, incident in which Smokes was involved in a shooting that claimed the life of a Daytona Beach man. According to investigators, Smokes was either one of the two gunmen or the driver of a vehicle involved in a high-speed pursuit that ended in the fatal shooting at the intersection of Bellevue Avenue and South Nova Road. The victim was struck four times and later died at a local hospital.
In addition to Second-Degree Murder, Smokes entered no-contest pleas to Fleeing or Attempting to Elude at High Speed, Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of a Schedule II Substance (Fentanyl), Driving without a License, Resisting an Officer without Violence, and two counts of Child Abuse.
Investigators were able to track the movements of the vehicle and Smokes using traffic cameras and cellphone location data, which placed him near the crime scene shortly before and after the shooting. About 30 minutes prior to the incident, Smokes’ phone connected to a tower near his apartment, and just six minutes before the shooting, it switched to a tower near West International Speedway Boulevard. Approximately 15 minutes after the shooting, his phone connected to another tower near where the vehicle was later abandoned.
The case was investigated by the Daytona Beach Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Mike Willard and Philip Dunlop. The Honorable Karen Foxman presided over the sentencing hearing.
This outcome reflects the court’s determination to hold individuals accountable for violent crimes and the effective coordination between law enforcement and prosecutors in Volusia County.
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