Murder plea delayed

Published 8:32 pm Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A continuance issued by an Escambia County (Fla.) court on Monday means both suspects in the November shooting death of a Florida lottery storeowner will not enter a plea for another month.

Lambeth

Lambeth

Brent Dewayne Lambeth, of Atmore, was scheduled to enter a plea Monday in front of Judge Linda Nobles, but is now scheduled to do so on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Lambeth faces charges of premeditated murder in the first degree and robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon in connection with the Nov. 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.

Malcolm Troy McGhee, of Atmore, also faces premeditated murder in the first degree and robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon charges in connection with the crime.

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Earlier this month, McGhee’s date in court was also rescheduled. He too will enter a plea on Wednesday, Sept. 4, also in front of Nobles.

Both men were taken into custody shortly after Kroll’s death. Authorities said Kroll was shot while McGhee and Lambeth were attempting to rob his store of synthetic marijuana, or spice, after having purchased the substance at that location in the past.

Following the shooting, both men fled the scene on foot wearing black ski masks, according to police.

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

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