Murder in The Villages-A Little More Justice (Part 2)

Well, it's almost final. It's been a long slog, but the third murderer is facing justice...AGAIN!

OCALA — Several days before he was set to go to trial, the last of the remaining codefendants in The Villages murder case pleaded no contest before a Marion County circuit judge.

On Wednesday afternoon, Theodore C. Houston, 19, pleaded no contest to murder in the second degree, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and robbery with a firearm for his role in the July 2006 shooting death of 63-year-old Villages resident Diana Miller and the attempted murder of her husband, James.

Houston, the youngest of three codefendants, testified against Renaldo D. McGirth and Jarrord M. Roberts during their jury trials earlier this year.

Under the terms of his plea, Houston will face a prison term no longer than 40 years. Under an earlier guilty plea that Houston entered in December 2007, but later withdrew, he would have faced at least 25 years but no more than 40 years in prison.

Assistant State Attorney Anthony Tatti said that since Circuit Judge Brian Lambert has had time to hear all the testimony from the previous trials, Houston could be sentenced to a lengthier term than the judge might have opted for earlier.

Here's the deal...he was (supposedly) the least complicit in this atrocity. He was a teenager caught up with a bad crowd-if you believe his family.

He cut a deal and testified against the other two. Then he reneged on his deal and wanted a trial. Now that it was close, he cut another deal. It may be better-he still has a maximum of 40 years, but doesn't necessarily have to serve a minimum of 25 years.

However, the judge now knows the extent of his involvement from his earlier testimony and could set the same...or even harsher...sentence.

It's very VERY SLOW justice, but it's moving forward.

Stay tuned.