The Office of the State Attorney Larry Basford announces that on Thursday, September 30, 2021, a Bay County Jury found Rachel Dianne Ladner guilty as charged of Attempted Second-Degree Murder with a Weapon.
Evidence presented at trial proved that on July 27, 2019, Corporal Curtis Bland of the Panama City Police Department responded to a call regarding an injured person. After investigation, Panama City Police Detective Matthew Kelly arrested Rachel Dianne Ladner for hitting a local homeowner with a cinder block causing severe lacerations to the victim’s ear and head. Ms. Ladner claimed the act was committed in self-defense, however, Corporal Bland found her still on scene, in bed with the victim, who was unconscious and covered in blood, over ten hours after the incident.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Elizabeth P. Magee and Jae Hee Kim. The Defendant will be sentenced by the Honorable Christopher Patterson on October 12, 2021. Attempted Second-Degree Murder with a Weapon is a first-degree felony, punishable by a maximum of 30 years in the Department of Corrections.
For more information, contact State Attorney Larry Basford.