Florida man sentenced to life in prison after murder, officials say
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Officials said a Florida man recently was sentenced to life in prison following the murder of a 31-year-old man.
Court documents show Marvin Ellison Jr., 41, recently was found guilty of first-degree murder for his involvement in the 2022 death of 31-year-old Antwain Jamar Hart.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Gabriel Lozano and Nicholas Camuccio, records show.
Dig deeper:
Reports show Ellison's conviction comes just a week after his co-defendant, Undray Benson, also was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Officials stated another co-defendant in the case, Deandre Anderson, also recently pleaded guilty to principal to murder in the second-degree with a firearm. Records show Anderson was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
The backstory:
The Umatilla Police Department said it responded to a shooting on Nov. 8, 2022, on Merrel Avenue.
When they arrived at the scene of the incident, officers said they found Hart, who had been shot multiple times in his mother's front yard.
Witnesses reported a white Mercedes near the scene, and shell casings and Hart's phone also were found there. Additionally, records show Hart's rental vehicle was later abandoned at a nearby church.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office assisted with the investigation, obtaining surveillance footage of a rented 2015-2017 Mercedes Benz CLS linked to Ellison, which was near the incident site.
Reports show phone records yielded a route consistent with both the crime scene and Hart's car.
Officials said additional footage also showed three individuals unloading the Mercedes at an apartment leased by a family member of Benson, tied to "Dray's Spot Detailing."
Anderson was identified as helping with the unloading, police stated, and the car was later picked up by his girlfriend's car.
Records show a search of the apartment revealed illegal drugs and a 9mm handgun that matched the murder weapon.
Officials said the evidence indicated the three suspects had collaborated to murder Hart during a robbery linked to illegal narcotics.
What they're saying:
"The prosecution of these three defendants and the court's sentences make it clear that (the) murderers will be held accountable to the greatest extent possible," said Walter Forgie, chief assistant state attorney. "Our office hopes these substantial sentences will bring closure to an exceptionally tragic chapter for the victim's family."
What's next:
Officials said Ellison will serve his life in prison sentence at the Florida Department of Corrections.
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the office of William M. Gladson, State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida.