Court date delayed in McGhee trial

Published 7:29 pm Friday, July 19, 2013

An Atmore man scheduled to enter a plea Friday on charges of premeditated murder in the first degree and robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon has had his day in court postponed, according to officials with the Escambia County (Fla.) Circuit Court.

McGhee

McGhee

Malcolm Troy McGhee will now enter a plea in front of Judge Linda Nobles Wednesday, Sept. 4 in connection with the November 6 shooting death of 74-year-old Thomas Gerald Kroll during an attempted robbery of the O’Yes Lotto store, which Kroll owned and operated on Highway 97, just south of the Alabama state line.

McGhee, along with a Florida man, Brent Dewayne Lambeth, were arrested shortly after the shooting and, police said, shot Kroll while attempting to rob the store of synthetic marijuana, also known as spice, which is illegal in Alabama, but legal in the state of Florida. Police said the two men had purchased the substance at the store in the past and are believed to have returned wearing masks and brandishing a firearm in order to steal more.

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McGhee and Lambeth each entered a standard automatic plea of not guilty in December.

Jury selection in Lambeth’s trial is scheduled to begin Monday, July 29. He also faces charges of premeditated murder in the first degree and robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon.

Both men remain detained at the Pensacola Jail on no bond.