‘Sea Hag’ Will Spend 30 Years in Prison For Shooting Neighbor Over Beer

A Florida woman, known to family and friends as “Sea Hag”, will be spending the next 30 years in prison after killing her neighbor over a beer dispute.

Carolyn Dukeshire, the 62-year-old self-proclaimed “Sea Hag”, received the sentence on Thursday after she plead guilty to a second degree murder charge stemming from a July 29, 2012 incident. With Assistant Public Defender Patrick Stevens representing her, Dukeshire accepted an agreement which will see her behind bars for a maximum of 30 years.

An article by UPI writes that the charges were brought against Dukeshire following an altercation with her neighbor. Police have stated that the woman approached 69-year-old Martin Mazur last summer at his Conch Key home.

Dukeshire reportedly asked Mazur for a cold Busch Light beer to which he replied, “I have absolutely nothing for you.” The interaction unexpectedly escalated into violence and culminated with Dukeshire shooting the man a total of five times.

According to KeysNet.com, Mazur suffered two bullet wounds to his lower right abdomen, two to his back, and one to his right wrist. He was taken to Fishermen’s Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead by medical staff. A report by Deputy Michael Claudy states that it appears that Martin Mazur tried to flee from the fatal assault but collapsed during his attempt.

In August of last year a grand jury issued a first degree murder charge against Dukeshire, or the Sea Hag. Thursday’s proceedings reduced that charge as part of the woman’s plea agreement. Mazur’s brother chose to have a victim’s advocate share his prepared statement during Thursday’s proceedings, to which Dukeshire offered no response.

However, Dukeshire reportedly submitted a statement of remorse to the presiding judge in the case. As a resident of the Florida Keys for 17 years, she had no previous arrest record prior to the fatal shooting incident.

Do you think 30 years in prison is an appropriate sentence for the crime committed by Carolyn “Sea Hag” Dukeshire?