DeLAND, Fla. - The DeLand Police Department announces that a Volusia County grand jury voted unanimously on August 6, 2026, to indict Austin Kersey, 27, of DeLand, on one count of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Joseph Daniel Spruck.

On May 18, 2026, at approximately 8 p.m., DeLand Police Department officers responded to 641 E. Tall Pine Terrace after family members reported being unable to contact Spruck for several days. Upon arrival, officers made contact with a friend of Spruck's who had forced entry into the residence out of concern for his welfare. Inside, officers discovered Spruck deceased in his bedroom. The medical examiner determined that Spruck died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators also observed injuries on Spruck's arms and hands consistent with defensive wounds.

During the course of the investigation, detectives determined that Spruck's vehicle, a gray Kia SUV, was missing from the residence. A be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) notice was issued for the vehicle, and DeLand patrol units located it the same evening at the Orange Tree Inn. Surveillance was established, and officers observed a white male exit a room at the location and approach the vehicle. Officers moved in to make contact, and the driver, later identified as Austin Kersey, was taken into custody. A search of the vehicle yielded what detectives believed to be, and later confirmed, crack cocaine and cannabis. A search recovered additional crack cocaine, bringing the total amount to 28.2 grams, resulting in a trafficking in cocaine charge. Kersey was also charged with violating felony probation for theft and fleeing and eluding.

Following the grand jury's unanimous indictment on August 6, 2026, an arrest warrant was served on Kersey at the Volusia County correctional facility where he was already being held on the drug and probation-related charges. Kersey is currently being held without bond and awaits trial.

The DeLand Police Department thanks the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Volusia County State Attorney's Office, Volusia Sheriff's Office, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance throughout this investigation.