Sandefur Found Guilty of Attempted Murder in 2010 Stabbing of Man

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury has found Eric Sandefur guilty of Attempted First-Degree Murder. With the verdict, Sandefur faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Jeb Branham will sentence Sandefur at a later date.

Close to 1 a.m. Dec. 4, 2010, Sandefur came across a man sleeping on a picnic table behind a Mandarin business. Sandefur, dressed in a full suit and tie, woke the victim by pulling his hair back and holding a knife to his throat. The victim was able to disarm Sandefur and tried to deescalate the situation, but Sandefur stabbed him twice in the neck area. The victim was able to use a blanket to slow the bleeding and ran, but Sandefur chased him and stabbed him seven more times in the arm, hand, and torso. The victim ran to a nearby business that he knew had surveillance — footage showed Sandefur holding the knife and circling the victim before he ran away. First responders showed up minutes later and were able to save the victim’s life. After the surveillance footage was published on local media, Sandefur turned himself in. Post-Miranda, Sandefur confessed and told detectives how he planned to kill the victim.

The case was investigated by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Doug Baer and Austin Kwikkel.