Butler Found Guilty of Attempted First-Degree Murder of Wife

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that Amanda Butler was found guilty by a jury of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Shooting/Throwing Deadly Missiles, and Domestic Aggravated Assault. The Honorable London Kite sentenced Butler to 30 years in Florida State Prison during a June 22, 2022, hearing.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 2, 2019, members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a Southside home after receiving a call about a domestic dispute. When they arrived, officers were flagged down by the caller who said the victim was inside of the residence and was shot. The victim and Butler had been arguing in their home when Butler told the victim to leave the house. Butler left the room, went into the garage and retrieved a handgun with an extended magazine from the car. Butler then pointed it at the victim while making threats of violence before demanding that the victim get into the bathtub. The victim then ran to her next-door neighbor’s home with Butler in pursuit. Butler fired the gun at the victim, striking her once in the hip. Butler then fired a second shot after the victim as the victim ran down the street toward seeking help from another neighbor. A bullet hole was found in the front door of the neighbor’s residence, with the bullet going through the neighbor’s living room and out the window to the neighbor’s back porch.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Brooke Gasson and Katelyn Johnston.