Friday, May 2, 2008

Sailor sentenced to life for killing spring break visitor




Ludmilla Lelis

Sentinel Staff Writer

3:32 PM EDT, May 2, 2008

DeLAND

A 29-year-old former Navy sailor was sentenced to life in prison after a Volusia jury convicted him of shooting a Spring Break visitor to death last year.

Matthew Castro was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder for the death of Lance Ulland, an 18-year-old from Minnesota, who was visiting Daytona Beach with his cousins.

Castro admitted to shooting Ulland, but tried to claim that the March 2007 shooting was an accident. He admitted that he was trying to track down someone who had sold him bad drugs earlier, but that Ulland was the wrong guy.

Ulland, his cousins, and their friends had checked into a motel room in Daytona Beach and during the early morning hours of March 18, Castro knocked on their door, according to witnesses.

Ulland answered and Castro asked a single question and shot him in the left eye, at point-blank range, according to evidence.

Ludmilla Lelis can be reached at llelis@orlandosentinel.com or 386-253-0964.

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