JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The man charged in the shooting death of 20-year-old Daniel Rowe in July 2015 has been indicted by a Duval County grand jury on a first-degree murder charge.
Erron Coleman, 25, was also indicted on charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Coleman was initially charged with second-degree murder before the indictment came down.
He appeared before a judge Friday afternoon and will continue to be held without bond, pending his arraignment on Sept. 8.
"I didn't expect anything less than no bond. He doesn't deserve to be walking in public," said Steven Rowe, the father of Daniel Rowe. "Increasing the charges, I'm, my whole family is happy with it. We really are."
Daniel Rowe was shot and killed while taking out the garbage on July 22, 2015, in an alley behind the Blind Rabbit, near the intersection of King and College streets, during what police described as a robbery attempt.
Coleman, who was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office about a year after the shooting, has 12 previous felony convictions and was a suspect in a 2015 strong-arm robbery when a tip from an inmate led police to investigate his connection to Daniel Rowe's death.
"It's still an open wound for us. But, at the same time, he's not walking the streets anymore. He's not able to hurt anybody else," Steven Rowe said.
Coleman was appointed a new lawyer because the public defender he was originally assigned was already representing him in a robbery case and had to withdraw from the murder case. Coleman is now being represented by the Regional Conflict Counsel. He will next be in court Aug. 25.
Coleman has 12 previous felony convictions. On Oct. 20, 2010, Coleman was convicted of multiple burglaries and car thefts and sentenced to five years in prison. He served 3½ years on 11 charges and was released on Nov. 21, 2014.
Police said he robbed a woman at gunpoint for her purse in March 2015, hitting her in the face with a gun a block away from her house.
Coleman was arrested Nov. 30, 2015, and charged with three counts of burglary after he was accused of burglarizing apartments in the Arlington area.
He was booked into jail on a $225,000 bond. On April 28, 2015, Coleman was charged with the March 2015 robbery and his bond was increased to $1 million.
The provider of the primary tip that led to Coleman's arrest will receive a $13,000 reward from Crime Stoppers, and a $3,000 reward is still available for tips leading to a second arrest. Callers can remain anonymous and still be eligible for the reward by calling 866-845-TIPS.