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After deliberating for hours, juries in the double-jury murder trial for Marcel Johnson and Kentrevious Garard ended the night without reaching a verdict.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Deliberations stretched late into Wednesday night in the murder trial of two Jacksonville men accused in the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Prince Holland and the wounding of four others, as two separate juries struggled to reach a verdict after hours.
Each defendant, Kentrevious Garard and Marcel Johnson, is being judged by a different jury. Neither panel had reached a decision.
Jurors began weighing evidence after closing arguments earlier in the day, following the recounting of events in December 2022, when prosecutors say 22 shots were fired into a car at the intersection of Moncrief and New Kings Road. Inside the vehicle were Holland, three other teens, and their adult coach.
The state contends Garard pulled the trigger while Johnson acted as the getaway driver. Prosecutors, addressing each jury separately, argued Garard “knows that he is guilty of this crime, just as the evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty of the highest charges of each count.”
They were similarly adamant Johnson played a key role, saying, “He was driver of vehicle, connected to killing a 13-year-old; that’s why he didn’t go to final step admitting he was the shooter.”
Defense attorneys for Garard insisted none of the hard evidence directly links him to the crime and questioned any motive, arguing a lack of motive should mean acquittal.
“Lack of motive equals a reasonable doubt. And remember, with just one, the law commands a verdict of not guilty,” Garard’s attorney told jurors.
Both juries ended their deliberations for the evening. Garard’s jury left the courthouse about 10:30 p.m., and Johnson’s around 8:30 p.m.
The judge has ordered jurors to resume deliberations at 9 a.m. Thursday, hoping for verdicts in both cases but there is no timetable for how long the decision will take.
First Coast News will continue to provide updates live outside the Duval County Courthouse as the trial unfolds.