A Florida woman has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the execution-style killing of a Haitian man who was gunned down in his car after taking out the trash outside his Fort Lauderdale home, authorities said Friday. The suspect, identified as Candace Walker, 33, is being held without bond after a judge ordered her detention following her arrest on August 7, 2026, nearly five weeks after the deadly shooting.
The victim, Mike Manard, 32, was shot multiple times through the driver’s side window of his white Buick sedan around 4:30 a.
m. on July 8, 2026, in the 1300 block of Northwest 13th Court in the Lauderdale Manors neighborhood. Surveillance footage captured the entire attack, showing Manard stepping outside his father’s home to take out the trash, then getting into his car.
Moments later, a gunman ran up to the driver’s window and fired at least eight rounds before fleeing in a waiting vehicle.
“I heard a shotgun. So I wake up,” said Philip Manard, the victim’s father, describing the chaos that unfolded outside his home.
“I see police come in, come in. Two police, three police, four police, ten police.” The elder Manard told reporters his son was born in Haiti and moved to the United States as a toddler, becoming the first in their family to graduate from college.
Mike Manard leaves behind a five-year-old daughter.
Fort Lauderdale police responded to a ShotSpotter alert and found Manard dead in the driver’s seat, his car riddled with bullet holes. Several other vehicles were also struck by gunfire.
The father said the family had experienced troubling incidents in the days leading up to the murder, including a fire set to work equipment in their front yard and bullets fired toward the house. “They set ablaze their work equipment in the front yard. They also fired towards his house, but he didn’t know what direction,” Philip Manard recalled.
For weeks, the case went cold. Then, on July 21, 2026, police arrested Avery Deonte Raheem Gibson, a 26-year-old SoundCloud rapper known as “Cut a Check,” on unrelated warrants for motor vehicle theft and high-speed fleeing. Gibson was also wanted for failing to pay a court-ordered financial debt of $1,420.
25 from a 2018 conviction. His driver’s license had been suspended, and he was flagged during a routine encounter. Authorities seized a phone belonging to Candace Walker during that arrest, sources said.
Walker, who had been vocal on social media about her close friendship with Gibson, posted online that the devil was busy just hours before her own arrest on August 7. She is now charged with premeditated murder in Manard’s death. Broward County prosecutors have not yet released the arrest affidavit, but court records show she appeared before a judge and refused to speak.
“It is jail, not bail, for a woman accused of shooting and killing a man in Fort Lauderdale,” a local news report stated.
The connection between Walker and the murder remains unclear. Investigators have not disclosed whether she pulled the trigger, was present at the scene, or allegedly orchestrated the killing.
Her social media activity in the weeks after the murder drew attention, including posts that some observers found suspicious. “I went back and I found some posts that definitely caught my attention,” said a commentator who reviewed her online presence. “Some made me question what exactly authorities believe her role was in this case.”
Gibson, who was arrested two weeks before Walker, has not been charged in connection with Manard’s death. His last Facebook post, dated July 7, 2026, read “Long live. Brody kept it one case since elementary.”
He has not posted since. Walker’s phone was reportedly returned to her after Gibson’s arrest, but authorities kept it for a period, according to information obtained by local media. Less than two weeks later, she was taken into custody.
The Manard family is struggling to understand why their loved one was targeted. “I try to be strong thinking take life of something somebody that that’s a painful. Today it’s me, tomorrow it could be somebody else,” Philip Manard said, his voice breaking.
Neighbors described the victim as a hardworking father who had recently graduated college and was trying to build a better life. “He was the only guy in my family to reach that level,” his father added.
Broward County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for any additional information.
“If you have any information for investigators, you can call Crimestoppers in Broward at 954-493 TIPS,” a local news anchor urged. The case has shaken the Haitian community in South Florida, where Manard was known as a rising star. “Nobody wins when the family feel,” one relative said, struggling to find words.
As the legal process unfolds, questions remain about the full scope of the alleged conspiracy. Did Walker act alone? Was Gibson involved?
And what role, if any, did the financial dispute play? Authorities have not commented on a motive, but the timeline suggests a possible link between Gibson’s legal troubles and the murder. Gibson was wanted for failing to pay a $1,420 court debt, and the state had reopened his case in May 2026.
On June 25, a strict deadline passed without payment, and his license was suspended the next day.
Walker’s arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a case that had stumped investigators for weeks. The surveillance footage, which has not been publicly released, is said to show the shooter’s silhouette and the getaway car.
“Keep that footage in mind,” one analyst noted. “The woman authorities eventually arrested is listed 52, about 120 lbs, and is now facing a premeditated murder charge with no bond.”
Court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Walker remains in custody at the Broward County Jail. Her attorney has not commented publicly. Meanwhile, the Manard family is preparing for a funeral and seeking justice.
“Life goes on. It’s done. But I try,” Philip Manard said, his grief palpable.
The community has rallied around them, with vigils planned to honor Mike Manard’s memory.
This is a developing story. Stay with us for updates as more information becomes available.
If you have any tips, contact Fort Lauderdale police or Broward Crime Stoppers immediately.
