JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The accused driver in the murder of 13-year-old Prince Holland was set to appear in court Tuesday morning, nearly two weeks after a judge declared a mistrial in his case.
Marcel Johnson, 25, will return to Duval County court for a pre-trial hearing. His return comes after a jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on Oct. 9 in the trial accusing him of murder in the 2022 drive-by shooting that killed Holland.
That same day, a separate jury found the accused shooter, Kentrevious Garard, 27, not guilty on all five counts.
Both were accused of first-degree murder.
“I’ve already given you the deadlock instruction,” Judge Jeb Branham said. “You’ve done everything that could be asked of you so you haven’t been able to reach unanimous verdict. Verdicts have to be unanimous one way or the other, I’m going to declare a mistrial.”
Chantel Brown, Holland’s mother spoke to media after the mistrial ruling and Garard being found not guilty.
No I don’t feel like justince was served. My son doesn’t have justice. Everybody forgets what I went through what my son went through and what pain he endured. We still endure this each and every day and today just made me have to relive the moment all over again and now I have to fight even harder to keep my son’s name alive because he is no longer with us and he was a 13 year-old child. He should still be here with us on earth. Right now, I am an angry mom a pissed off mom so no this is not justice. This is hurt on top of hurt and the tears don’t even amount to the pain I feel behind this, but I’ll fight everyday and keep my sons name alive.
Chantel Brown
According to investigators, on Dec. 3, 2022, Johnson drove a blue Kia Rio with Garard inside, waiting for a red SUV that was carrying Holland, his football coach and three other kids.
According to testimony during the trial, the coach was the target of the ambush shooting. Investigators said that when the SUV stopped at the intersection of Moncrief and New Kings roads, Garard fired shots at the SUV, killing Holland and wounding others, including the coach and an 11-year-old child.
Prosecutors said Johnson’s own words and actions, including his Instagram Live video days after the murder, showed no remorse and gloated about the shooting.
But the defense said the state failed to prove Johnson was involved in the shooting, saying that his confession was coerced through intimidation and deception by the JSO detectives.
They also claimed investigators ignored other potential suspects and said that no eyewitnesses or physical evidence tied Johnson to the scene and urged jurors to find reasonable doubt.
The police reported that more than 20 bullets were fired during the incident. Johnson has claimed that Garard threatened him to ensure his silence about the events that transpired.
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