Charges reduced in slaying

OCALA - Another defendant tied to an April 2006 home invasion in Marion Oaks that left a teenager dead and another person seriously injured entered a plea of no contest Monday afternoon.

Jason R. Hardy, 30, became the third person involved in the two-year-old case to flip to state prosecutors in exchange for a reduced maximum sentence.

Hardy was charged with first-degree murder, attempted felony murder, home invasion robbery while armed, burglary of a dwelling with a firearm and kidnapping with a firearm, counts that are all punishable by life in prison. In exchange for his plea, the state dropped Hardy's murder charges and set a cap of 40 years for his maximum sentence.

Last November, Deyonco Flowers, 21, pleaded no contest to armed home invasion robbery, armed burglary with a firearm and armed kidnapping. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. In July, another co-defendant, Delliah Robinson, 29, pleaded guilty to various charges. She is accused of driving the getaway car, but because she served as an accessory after the fact to the home invasion she is charged under Florida law as if she were an actual participant in the home invasion. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

The sentencing for all three individuals before Circuit Judge Willard Pope won't take place until the murder trial of a fourth co-defendant, Charles Jerome Austin. Assistant State Attorney Rock Hooker said Austin, 28, was the gunman in the April 6, 2006, home invasion that took the life of Kindrell Lamar Stocker, 17, and critically wounded Eddie Deon Hamilton, 28. The state is seeking the death penalty against Austin, who is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and home invasion robbery while armed.

Under the condition of their plea deals, Hardy, Robinson and Flowers must testify truthfully against Austin during his trial, which is not expected to occur until early next year. A fifth co-defendant, Brian Hubbard, is in federal prison in Texas on unrelated charges.

The state is alleging that Austin, Hardy, Flowers and Hubbard broke into a Marion Oaks residence the evening of April 6, 2006, in an alleged plot to obtain drugs. A tip there led two of the men to invade a second, separate residence in search of cocaine while the other half of the group stayed behind, keeping the residents hostage.

At some point, Stocker and Hamilton returned home, where they were met by gunfire.

Suevon Lee may be reached at suevon.lee@starbanner.com or 867-4065.