A 56-year-old Orlando man was formally indicted by a grand jury last week, months after he allegedly stabbed and killed a woman outside of a gym in Orange County.
On Wednesday, July 31, Shannon Wright King was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and stalking in connection with the death of 38-year-old Jessica Leigh Steigelman.
According to the indictment, on March 1, 2024, King allegedly approached the victim, Steigelman, in the parking lot of a shopping plaza located in the 10900 block of W Colonial Drive in Ocoee.
A witness told law enforcement that King and Steigelman appeared to be arguing via sign language in the parking lot before they both entered her vehicle. Another witness advised that King then allegedly stabbed Steigelman with a large knife, and the witness rushed over to help the victim.
The arrest affidavit stated that Steigelman sustained a “deep stab wound” on the left side of her back, and she also had “open wounds” on her throat, chest and arms. Paramedics soon arrived on scene and rushed her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.
In the parking lot, several bystanders assisted with detaining King until Ocoee Police Department officers arrived on scene. The officers observed a “growing pool of blood” in the parking lot, and a “large (and) bloody knife with a bent blade” was found under a vehicle near the incident location, according to the affidavit.
After being read his Miranda rights, King refused to discuss the incident and requested an attorney. He was then arrested and transported to Orange County Jail.
Last week, on July 31, prosecutors presented “sufficient evidence” to grand jurors, and an indictment was secured against King.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A pre-trial conference is scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. on November 19, 2024, according to Orange County Court records.