OCALA, Fla. – An Ocala man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2022 shooting death of 31-year-old Antwain Jamar Hart. 53-year-old Undray Benson was convicted Wednesday following a bench trial in Marion County.
The case dates back to November 8, 2022, when Umatilla Police Department officers responded to a shooting on Merrell Avenue. Hart was found shot multiple times in his mother’s front yard. Witnesses reported seeing a white Mercedes near the scene, and investigators discovered shell casings and the victim’s phone at the crime scene. Hart’s rental vehicle was later found abandoned at a nearby church.
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The Lake County Sheriff’s Office joined the investigation, which uncovered crucial surveillance footage. The footage revealed a rented Mercedes Benz linked to Marvin Ellison, a co-defendant in the case, near the crime scene and the abandoned vehicle. Phone records further corroborated Ellison’s involvement.
Additional surveillance footage showed three individuals unloading the Mercedes at an apartment leased by a family member of Benson. The third co-defendant, Deandre Anderson, was also identified through surveillance footage.
A search warrant executed at the apartment yielded illegal drugs and a 9mm handgun, which matched the murder weapon. The evidence pointed to a coordinated effort by the three suspects to rob and murder Hart, likely motivated by the presence of illegal narcotics in his vehicle.
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“The actions of this defendant were calculated, deliberate, and devoid of remorse,” stated Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie. “Justice demands accountability for such actions.”
Following Benson’s conviction, Judge James R. Baxley sentenced him to life in prison, the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder in Florida.
Co-defendants Deandre Anderson and Marvin Ellison are scheduled to stand trial next week. Assistant State Attorneys Gabe Lozano and Nicholas Camuccio are prosecuting the case.
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