Man accused of girl's murder in road rage fight By Bo Rosser Court TV Updated Sept. 27, 2005, 10:35 a.m. ET BUSHNELL, Fla. — A roadrage incident spun out of control on the morning of Feb. 1, 2003, escalating into gunfire and leaving a 5-year-old girl dead. Joshua Walsh was convicted of third-degree murder in the death of Marishka Lovett in 2004, but a but a Sumter County circuit court judge ordered a new trial citing possible misinformation given to jurors. Walsh faced a new trial in August 2005, and once again the 25-year-old found himself facing 25 years to life in prison if convicted. The Incident The fatal shooting stemmed from an altercation along State Road 466-A in Wildwood, according to the Fruitland Park Police Department. Tyrone Lovett, 32, and his 5-year-old daughter had driven to Marianna in his Ford Escort to pick up Sandra Vickson, Lovett's mother-in-law. On their way home to Wildwood, Lovett told police, a Trans-Am cut them off. Lovett, who admitted to drinking three Budweisers before the incident, pulled alongside the sports car and yelled at the two men in the car — Luther Parker, who was driving, and Jeremiah Walsh. Lovett then started tailing the Trans-Am, which prompted Walsh to call his brother Joshua for help, according to police. After about 15 miles, the Trans-Am finally pulled over onto the shoulder, where Joshua Walsh was waiting with a loaded shotgun in a red-and-blue Chevy S-10 pickup. Lovett parked in between the two vehicles and grabbed a box cutter. Before he got out of the car, however, he saw Joshua Walsh emerge from the pickup with a shotgun, he told police. On seeing the weapon, Lovett yelled to his daughter and mother-in-law to "duck," and then drove away. As he fled the scene, Lovett hit Parker, who rolled off the hood and was not hurt, according to police. A high-speed chase ensued. As Lovett raced toward town, three shots pierced the back of his car. One shot punctured his trunk and went through his daughter's skull landing under the driver's seat. A second bullet took off part of Vickson's finger. A third shot pierced the back windshield. As his daughter lay bleeding in the back seat, Lovett drove to the Handy Way convenience store in Fruitland Park to call for help. Although Lovett and Vickson could not identify the license plates of the vehicles involved, a couple who reported a reckless driving incident helped police identify the Trans-Am and pickup. Walsh claimed that he fired at Lovett's car in retaliation after Lovett tried to run over Parker. When police arrived at Walsh's home after the shooting, he told officers he was unaware anyone was hurt from the three shots. The Verdict After eight hours of deliberations over two days, the jury returned a verdict on Aug. 5, 2005, acquitting Joshua Walsh of all charges. function goToURL() { opener.location.href="http://www.courttv.com/trials/walsh/verdict.html"; opener.focus(); } Article URL: http://www.courttv.com/trials/walsh/verdict.html
