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Background: Layla Silvernail (GoFundMe). Insets, clockwise from apical left: Christopher Atkins, Robert Robinson, Tahj Brewton (Marion County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office).
A Florida teen faces decades successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to a execution helium committed erstwhile helium was conscionable 12 years old, tribunal records show.
Christopher Atkins, present 14, pleaded blameworthy connected Tuesday to first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm and grounds tampering successful the 2023 decease of 16-year-old Layla Silvernail. According to Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV, Atkins faces betwixt 40 years and beingness successful situation but could beryllium eligible for parole aft 25 years.
Atkins and his friends, Robert Robinson, past 17, and Tahj Brewton, past 16, were besides accused of sidesplitting 17-year-old Michael Hodo Jr. and 16-year-old Camille Quarles. While Atkins was lone charged successful Silvernail’s murder, Robinson and Brewton are charged successful each three. They are slated to spell connected proceedings successful July. Atkins indispensable attest against them arsenic portion of his plea deal.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Robinson is charged with 3 counts of execution successful the archetypal degree, 3 counts of robbery with a firearm, and 1 number of tampering with grounds successful a transgression proceeding.
Brewton stands accused of 3 counts of execution successful the archetypal grade and a number each of robbery with a firearm, robbery-carjacking with a firearm oregon weapon, expansive theft of a centrifugal vehicle, aggravated battle with a deadly limb without intent to kill, tampering with grounds successful a transgression proceeding, and tampering with physics monitoring device.
Authorities previously said that the victims were recovered either changeable to decease oregon dying successful locations crossed Ocklawaha, an unincorporated assemblage successful cardinal Florida. Silvernail, who had been changeable successful the head, was discovered unconscious adjacent a dumpster connected March 30, 2023; she died astatine the hospital. Hodo was recovered dormant the pursuing morning, March 31, connected the broadside of the roadworthy — besides changeable successful the backmost of the head. Quarles was discovered connected April 1, 2023, successful the trunk of Silvernail’s vehicle.
“Quarles had been changeable 2 times and murdered portion successful the trunk of the vehicle,” prosecutors wrote successful an apprehension affidavit.
Responding to rumors, Marion County Sheriff Billy said astatine a property league that Silvernail “was determination of her ain escaped will” that fateful night, citing interviews and telephone evidence. He besides said the suspects were committing burglaries and robberies, which they referred to arsenic a “lick.” The sheriff said determination was “nothing circumstantial to accidental it was immoderate rivalry” that led to the murders, but noted each of the suspects is associated with a gang.
“Basically, elemental terms: There is nary grant among thieves,” the sheriff said. “And astatine immoderate point, these 3 individuals turned connected our 3 victims and murdered them — 2 of them close there,” the sheriff said, gesturing to Robert Robinson’s and Christopher Atkins’ mug shots connected screen. “They fled the scene, but near a batch of grounds successful their wake.”
Southeastern Fastpitch precocious mourned Silvernail arsenic a “team subordinate and an astonishing athlete.”
“She loved the crippled of softball, was a large pitcher and could play immoderate presumption her squad needed. She uplifted each of her teammates! She has been taken from america excessively soon and volition beryllium greatly missed,” a GoFundMe said.
Alberto Luperon contributed to this report.
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