Man, 85, charged with murder in Blare Drive shooting

Charles Kidd Jr. shot victim Mark Ruschmeier twice after the two argued about an air conditioner.


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  • | 12:20 p.m. August 15, 2023
FCSO deputies place Charles Kidd Jr., center, under arrest. Photo courtesy of the FCSO
FCSO deputies place Charles Kidd Jr., center, under arrest. Photo courtesy of the FCSO
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Last updated: 12:20 p.m. Aug. 15

An 85-year-old Palm Coast man shot and killed another man at their Blare Drive house early the morning of Aug. 14 after the two argued about an air conditioning unit.

Charles Kidd Jr. shot 36-year-old Mark Ruschmeier twice, killing him, according to Kidd’s arrest report.

FCSO deputies arrested Kidd later that day and charged him with second-degree murder.

The FCSO received two 911 calls from the home just before 6 a.m. on Aug. 14 — one from Ruschmeier’s mother and the other from Kidd, who both lived in the house with the victim.

Ruschmeier’s mother told deputies that her son and Kidd were arguing about an air conditioner, the report said. She heard the two physically fighting and picked up her phone to call 911 when she heard two gunshots. 

Kidd then walked past her and said, “He got what he deserved,” the report said.

Her son and Kidd have been hostile to each other for years, she told deputies, and Kidd told her multiple times that he was going to kill her son.

Kidd told deputies that while he did not remember exactly what happened or what was said, he believed Ruschmeier had tried to choke him. 

This story has been updated with additional information.

 

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