Standing beside his lawyer at the defense table late Wednesday, Carlos M. Flores-Renteria bowed his head for a few minutes, kissed a cross that was around his neck and waited for the jury to come into the courtroom.
One by one, the three men and three women made their way into the jury box and sat. Flores-Renteria also sat and waited.
When the court clerk read aloud the guilty verdict for third-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Brandon Hammett, Flores-Renteria slowly turned around and looked at his family.
Conviction:Ocala man convicted in 2018 shooting near elementary school
Plea bargain reached: 40-year prison term for man involved in 2018 fatal shooting and burning
Judge’s ruling:Ocala man sentenced to life in prison for killing, dismembering his grandmother
Staring at Flores-Renteria, his family cried, with some of them consoling each other.
Circuit Judge Peter Brigham ordered two reports, one of them a pre-sentencing investigation, to be completed before sentencing.
With the guilty verdict, the judge revoked Flores-Renteria’s bond. A bailiff handcuffed the defendant and he was taken to the Marion County Jail.
Ocala lawyer David G. Mengers, Flores-Renteria’s attorney, said outside the courtroom that he was “disappointed” with the verdict. He said the court should have instructed the jury on the legal doctrine on the independent act, “which I respectfully suggest that fit the facts here.”
Under the legal theory of independent act, Mengers said, if somebody else commits a crime that was unanticipated or unforeseen by the defendant, he’s not guilty.
In this case, Mengers said, Luis Angel Ortega is the murderer, not Flores-Renteria. Flores-Renteria was 16 at the time of Hammett’s death.
All cases resolved
With Wednesday’s late night verdict, the last of the four co-defendants in this case has had his case resolved.
Last week, Assistant State Attorneys Toby Hunt and Wynn Vickers tried Ortega, 19, and secured a guilty verdict for first-degree murder. His sentence is on hold until the completion of a pre-trial sentence report. Hunt and Vickers also were the lawyers in Flores-Renteria’s two-day trial.
A third person connected to the shooting, Dalton Wayne Purvis, is serving an eight-year prison sentence for his role in Hammett’s untimely death. As part of a plea agreement between his lawyer and prosecutors, the 23-year-old had to testify truthfully against his counterparts.
A fourth individual, Denver James Sutter, 22, is deceased.
A late night at the courthouse
Arriving at a decision was a long and winding road.
At 8 p.m., the judge exited his office, sat in his chair in the courtroom and asked Hunt, Vickers, Mengers and Flores-Renteria how they wanted to proceed.
The six-member jury had started deliberations at 5:20 p.m.
After listening to the lawyers and Flores-Renteria, Brigham called the jurors in from the back. When they sat down, he asked them if they wanted to continue deliberating.
One juror answered, “We’re close.”
Hearing that, the judge asked if they would like pizza and soda. They said yes.
First set of questions
At 8:12 p.m., a bailiff ordered two large pizzas and soda from Domino’s while the jury returned to the back to continue its deliberations.
Nearly 15 minutes after food for the jury was ordered, the panel had two questions: Could they get the definition of “accomplice” as it pertains to this case. And also, what’s the difference between third-degree murder and manslaughter?
Manslaughter was included as a lesser offense for the jury to consider.
The judge wrote the answers on a sheet of paper, gave it to the lawyers for their review, and it was taken to the jurors by a bailiff.
Decision time
Shortly after 9 p.m., jurors had two requests: Were there any images or recordings from Flores-Renteria’s phone that they could see? And, could they watch the recorded interviews between detectives and Flores-Renteria?
Jurors watched the interviews from the jury box then returned to the back at 10:23 p.m. to resume discussing the case.
Ten minutes later, there was a loud knock on the door, which usually means two things: Jurors have reached a verdict or they have a question. In this case, it was a decision.
The judge came to the courtroom at 10:42 p.m. to announce there was a verdict in the case.
Jurors were called into the courtroom and the foreperson handed the bailiff her decision. The judge reviewed the document and gave it to the clerk, who read it aloud at 10:45 p.m.
What happened in 2018
In late October 2018, Hammett met four people near Saddlewood Elementary School on Southwest 43rd Court. He had received a message about selling marijuana.
When Hammett arrived, he was questioned about the marijuana. Deputies were told when Hammett showed the four individuals the marijuana he had, one felt it wasn’t enough. When he said he did not have any more, he was shot at repeatedly by Ortega, authorities said.
Hammett, who was driving and had his girlfriend beside him, took off. He stopped not far away and told his girlfriend that he had been shot. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
At the time, more than 1,000 people had gathered at the school for a Halloween event, authorities said.
Detectives eventually arrested the four from their investigation.
Flores-Renteria testifies
Hunt and Vickers took turns taking testimony from law enforcement officials, a doctor who performed the autopsy on the Hammett, Hammett’s girlfriend, and Purvis. At times during the trial, Flores-Renteria smiled and cried. He spent most of his time with family members during breaks.
Flores-Renteria took the stand to testify in his own defense. He said his intent that day was not for Hammett to get shot or harmed; he didn’t know that the shooting would occur.
Flores-Renteria said he told Ortega not to bring or use a gun. Although he provided the fake money that was to be used to get the marijuana, he told them that he didn’t think the plan was going to work.
“I didn’t think anyone would get hurt,” he said.
Hunt said that Flores-Renteria had opportunities to walk away, but decided to tag along.
Closing arguments
In his closing argument, Hunt said Flores-Renteria was the one who “set in motion a chain of events” that led to Hammett’s death.
The prosecutor said he was the one who had the fake cash, showed it to those who were at his residence, and “didn’t do anything to stop it,” making reference to him calling Ortega, who showed up with a gun.
“If not for his (Flores-Renteria’s) actions, Brandon Hammett would be alive today,” he said.
Mengers told jurors that his client “did not intend for the shooting to happen,” and it wasn’t his intention “for a gun to be used.”
![Marion County Judicial Center Thursday June 30, 2022. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2022](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2022/06/30/NOSB/4c4e97af-34e6-4fa1-a4fc-364497f669c0-OCA_Marion_County_Judicial_Center_01.JPG?width=660&height=442&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
He said Flores-Renteria did not set “things in motion” as Hunt said, and argued that Purvis had the money. At the location where the shooting took place, the defense lawyer said, Flores-Renteria did not play a role in the victim’s death.
Mengers blamed the shooting on Ortega, telling the jury that “Brandon Hammett is dead because of the acts of Luis Ortega.”
Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected].
Jury says Ocala man guilty of third-degree murder of 18-year-old man & Latest News Update
Jury says Ocala man guilty of third-degree murder of 18-year-old man & More Live News
All this news that I have made and shared for you people, you will like it very much and in it we keep bringing topics for you people like every time so that you keep getting news information like trending topics and you It is our goal to be able to get
all kinds of news without going through us so that we can reach you the latest and best news for free so that you can move ahead further by getting the information of that news together with you. Later on, we will continue
to give information about more today world news update types of latest news through posts on our website so that you always keep moving forward in that news and whatever kind of information will be there, it will definitely be conveyed to you people.
Jury says Ocala man guilty of third-degree murder of 18-year-old man & More News Today
All this news that I have brought up to you or will be the most different and best news that you people are not going to get anywhere, along with the information Trending News, Breaking News, Health News, Science News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Technology News, Business News, World News of this made available to all of you so that you are always connected with the news, stay ahead in the matter and keep getting today news all types of news for free till today so that you can get the news by getting it. Always take two steps forward
Credit Goes To News Website – This Original Content Owner News Website . This Is Not My Content So If You Want To Read Original Content You Can Follow Below Links