A 56-year-old St. Cloud man has been sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty last week of first-degree murder in the 2024 shooting death of another man at the entrance to a Kissimmee RV park.
Kevin Walter Duda was convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Nicholas Brank, according to court records.
On the afternoon of June 12, 2024, Osceola County Sheriff ’s deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive man lying on the ground near the entrance to the Ponderosa RV Park on Fortune Road. Brank, 44, later died from his injuries at the hospital. Investigators determined that Duda and Brank knew each other and had a history of conflict stemming from a dispute over property Duda believed Brank had stolen from him. According to arrest and investigative records, the dispute dated back at least a year and included verbal arguments and alleged threats.
On the day of the shooting, authorities said Duda encountered Brank near the RV park and decided to confront him about the alleged stolen property. Investigators said Duda armed himself with a handgun before approaching Brank.
Court records indicate a confrontation followed. Brank was unarmed at the time and was shot and killed during the encounter.
Duda was identified as a suspect and located in the area shortly after the shooting. He was arrested following a brief foot pursuit, investigators said.
An investigation by homicide detectives uncovered surveillance video, witness statements and the firearm used in the shooting. According to the initial arrest affidavit, forensic testing later linked the recovered handgun to a cartridge casing found near Brank’s body.
