Jack Radke, a 48-year-old white male, was tragically shot and killed on July 7, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. The incident occurred in the Eagle Creek subdivision near Lake Hart. Jack Radke was sitting in his van, talking to a neighbor, when Clay Curtsinger, a 47-year-old man, approached and shot him six times with a 9mm handgun. The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. Curtsinger, who was dating Radke's ex-wife, Carla Radke, claimed he acted in self-defense, stating that Jack Radke had pulled a gun on him. However, no gun was found in Radke's van, and witnesses reported that the shooting happened too quickly for Radke to have said or done anything threatening.
The relationship between Jack Radke and his ex-wife Carla was contentious, with multiple domestic violence injunctions filed by Carla against Jack in 2015. Despite these allegations, friends and neighbors described Jack Radke as a hardworking man who was dedicated to his son and well-liked in his community. He ran a lawn mowing and tile business and had many clients in the neighborhood.
Clay Curtsinger was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was held at the Orange County Jail without bond. Curtsinger's defense claimed he believed he was protecting himself and his new girlfriend from a violent man. However, the investigation found no evidence to support his self-defense claim. Curtsinger's family described him as a non-violent person who acted out of love for Carla Radke, while Jack Radke's friends and neighbors painted a picture of a man who was falsely accused and ultimately a victim of a tragic and unnecessary act of violence.
