Grand jury indicts DeLand man in murder of Joseph Spruck
A Volusia County grand jury unanimously indicted 27-year-old Austin Kersey on one count of first-degree murder after Joseph Daniel Spruck was found dead from blunt-force head trauma; Kersey also faces drug and probation-related charges.
On May 18, 2026, family members reported being unable to contact Joseph Daniel Spruck; officers found him deceased at 641 E. Tall Pine Terrace and the medical examiner determined he died of blunt-force trauma to the head, with injuries consistent with defensive wounds. Investigators located Spruck’s gray Kia SUV at the Orange Tree Inn that evening and detained 27-year-old Austin Kersey as he approached the vehicle; searches of the vehicle and related areas yielded crack cocaine (totaling 28.2 grams) and cannabis, producing a trafficking charge plus allegations of violating felony probation, theft and fleeing and eluding. A Volusia County grand jury unanimously indicted Kersey on one count of first-degree murder on August 6, 2026; an arrest warrant was served at the Volusia County correctional facility where he was already held on the other charges, and he is being held without bond awaiting trial.