A California man, Austin Hogan, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for his involvement in the murder of two brothers from Florida during a drug deal in California. Hogan pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and testified against his co-defendant, Kyle Smith.
The brothers, Jerry and Randy Bonds, traveled from Florida to Butte County, California, to purchase marijuana.
An investigation showed the brothers had flown into a Los Angeles airport on October 19, 2020, rented an Audi, and then drove to Oroville and checked into a local motel, then went missing.
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They were lured to a rural area by Hogan, Smith, and another co-defendant, Michael Griff. The brothers were fatally shot, and their bodies were hidden.
Hogan, Smith, and Griff then drove to a casino in Reno, Nevada. The victims’ remains were later discovered in a wooded area. All three defendants were arrested and charged with murder.
Griff pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and received a sentence of 50 years to life. Smith also pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and received a sentence of more than 30 years to life.
The victims’ family spoke at Hogan’s sentencing hearing and described the pain they have endured due to the killings.
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