JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A man found guilty of first-degree murder for orchestrating a jailhouse hit was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, court records show.
Jecorian McCray was also found guilty in May of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with a witness, victim or informant.
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McCray, 28, is guilty in the 2016 shooting death of University of North Florida information technology engineer Joe Brenton.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to the homicide call on Sept. 21, 2016, where Brenton was found dead of several gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that McCray, who was in jail and through jail calls ordered his brother, Dakarai Maxwell, to kill Brenton.
According to investigators, the order against Brenton was due to Brenton’s scheduled testimony against McCray and Maxwell in a related burglary case in which the brothers were suspected of breaking into Brenton’s home and were caught on surveillance cameras.
Maxwell was set for trial this week, but it’s been passed until October. Meantime, defense lawyers have asked for a trauma expert to conduct a confidential examination of Maxwell, and the judge granted that request.