Man executed best friend for 'vaping in the house,' told police they were 'play-fighting': Affidavit

Inset: Elisha C. Landry (Pinellas County Jail). Background: The area in Florida where Landry allegedly killed his best friend (Google Maps).

A 28-year-old Florida man is accused of killing his best friend, allegedly executing the 34-year-old after a petty dispute over a vape device and a bizarre attempt to cover up the crime as mere "play-fighting."

Elisha Christopher Landry was taken into custody this week and charged with one count of second-degree murder in the slaying of Shaun Allen Hennigh last month, authorities announced.

According to a probable cause affidavit from the Gulfport Police Department, Landry allegedly shot Hennigh, his "best friend" and roommate, in the back of the head on April 17. Afterward, he allegedly dragged the victim's body into his garage and waited more than four hours before calling 911.

Police responded to a 911 call regarding a dead body at a residence in the 5100 block of Tangerine Avenue South at 5:04 a.m. on April 17.

During the call, Landry allegedly told the dispatcher, "my best friend's shot in the garage." When the operator directly asked if the victim had shot himself, Landry allegedly responded, "I'm not sure," before claiming he had already been sitting with the body for "30 f—ing minutes." In reality, neighbors reported hearing a single gunshot and a car alarm blaring at 12:32 a.m. — nearly 4 1/2 hours before Landry called for help.

Upon arriving, first responders found Landry in the roadway repeating that his friend was "in the back." Officers discovered Hennigh's body lying on the garage floor; he was already cold to the touch, rigor mortis had begun to set in, and dried blood footprints were visible around the scene.

When questioned about how his friend died, Landry allegedly offered a series of contradictory explanations.

He initially claimed Hennigh had arrived home "irate" and that the two simply went down to the garage to smoke a cigarette. However, as investigators pushed for details, Landry allegedly claimed that the fatal shooting occurred while the two grown men were actively "play-fighting" near the driveway. Landry claimed Hennigh snatched a 9 mm handgun directly from Landry's waistband holster while they were "acting a little bit silly."

When an officer asked if Hennigh had held the gun to his own head, Landry allegedly snapped in a dismissive tone:

"No dude! We were just twisting around."

Seconds later, Landry completely reversed his narrative, telling the officer, "No, don't even think… he was grabbing me," and flatly contradicting his prior statement by adding, "He didn't grab it out of my holster." Later, during a formal post-Miranda interview at the police station, Landry shook his head when asked how the gun went off, telling a detective, "I can't tell you."

The physical evidence undercut Landry's claims of an accidental shooting during a friendly tussle, police said. While Landry claimed he had held Hennigh in his arms for up to 30 minutes after the weapon discharged, forensic technicians noted that there was a "minimal amount of blood" on Landry's jeans — a stark contrast to the massive pool of blood left by the fatal head wound. Landry also admitted that before police arrived, he took the time to pull a pair of blue jeans over the shorts he had been wearing during the actual shooting.

The crime scene itself also allegedly showed heavy signs of manipulation. Investigators discovered blood spatters on an outdoor bench and the driveway, as well as a pool of partially dried blood underneath a package delivery storage box outside. Investigators also found "apparent blood smears, consistent with body being dragged from outside the garage to the inside."

Compounding the delay in reporting, authorities discovered that Landry's mother — a licensed travel nurse with more than a decade of medical experience — was inside the home during the entire 4 1/2 hour window between the gunshot and the 911 call. Landry allegedly never woke his mother or attempted to ask her to render lifesaving medical assistance to his dying friend.

Landry's girlfriend allegedly told police the fatal encounter began in an upstairs bedroom, where Landry flew into a rage after finding Hennigh "vaping inside the house." The two argued, and Hennigh allegedly walked downstairs to the garage. Landry told his girlfriend he was going downstairs to "check on" his friend, armed with a 9 mm handgun in his waistband.

The roommates also had a long history of volatile arguments regarding finances. Text messages recovered from Hennigh's phone showed that Landry had previously kicked him out of the house in January, forcing him to "couch surf" because Hennigh was "inconsistent with paying his portion of the bills."

An autopsy ultimately concluded Hennigh's death was a homicide caused by a single intermediate-range gunshot wound to the back of the head. The bullet entered the posterior portion of the skull, traveling at an upward trajectory.

Landry is currently being held at the Pinellas County Jail without bond. It remains unclear when he is scheduled to make his next court appearance.