Judge sets trial date for deputy charged with murdering Hurlburt airman Christopher Saul March 9, 2026 11:43 am Crime, Fort Walton Beach, Hurlburt Field, Military The trial of Former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran for the second-degree murder of Hurlburt Field Special Operations Senior Airman Roger Fortson will take place on September 28, 2026. Defense attorney Michael Flowers, prosecutor Mark Alderman, and Judge William Stone decided in a 30-minute hearing in Fort Walton Beach to schedule three days for the trial this fall – along with another three-day hearing to discuss the admission of expert witnesses, likely to take place in Early August. RELATED: Slain airman’s mother lays blame at Okaloosa Sheriff’s feet. An Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy discusses potential protests or demonstrations with Chantimekki Fortson, the mother of Roger Fortson. Fortson was killed by an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy, Eddie Duran, when he responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Chez Elan apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach in 2024. Some of those witnesses may discuss the training manuals and standard operating procedures for the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office as a part of their testimony to the court. “I don’t want to continue this [case] three to four cycles only to hear this [case] hasn’t progressed,” Judge stone warned with severity to the attorneys. “It makes me feel,” Chantemekki Fortson, the mother of Roger Fortson, said about Monday’s hearing before pausing for a moment, “a little relieved.” Shared humanity Before the hearing, Mekka Fortson gathered...
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