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Man pleads guilty to being accessory in deadly downtown shooting

St. Johns County 19-year-old, 2 others accused in connection with downtown Jacksonville murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of the men who was arrested in connection with a deadly shooting in downtown Jacksonville in May pleaded guilty Thursday to being an accessory to the murder.

21-year-old Holden Dodson’s lawyer asked for a bond reduction so he can be released from jail pending sentencing. That request was taken under advisement.

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Ryan Nichols, 19, is charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence, while Daniel DeGuardia, 18, and Holden Dodson, 21, are charged as accessories after the fact.

The State Attorney’s Office advised the judge that it might seek to indict Nichols for first-degree murder.

Dodson’s bond remains at $200,000 for now. DeGuardia has also asked for a bond reduction. Nichols – the accused shooter— is being held without bond.

The next court date Aug. 23.

The case began when a man’s body was found on May 2 lying on the sidewalk on West Ashley Street in Downtown Jacksonville. Investigators said the moments leading up to the man’s death were caught on surveillance camera.

A number of shell casings and an extended magazine were found nearby.

The arrest reports said one man chased the man, while two other men followed them in a Jeep.

It said the man tried to hide behind a dumpster before he was shot.

The investigation eventually led police to a house in St. Johns County where a Jeep Grand Cherokee, matching the description of the one seen leaving the shooting, was recovered.

Man pleads guilty to being accessory in deadly downtown shooting (News4JAX)