Two men were indicted by a grand jury on Thursday for separate murder offenses.
Albert James Shell and Zy’wantre Si’cane Lester were the men indicted by the grand jury where prosecutors from the State Attorney’s Office presented their cases in front of Circuit Judge Anthony Tatti. The murders occurred late last month within hours of each other.
Assistant State Attorneys Rich Buxman and Amy Berndt handled the grand jury cases, which began at 8:30 a.m. and concluded between 2:30 and 3 p.m.
Testimonies from grand jury indictments are sealed and therefore the contents are not available to the public.
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First appearances
The men were in court on Friday morning in front of County Judge LeeAnn Mackey-Barnes for their first appearance hearings. Lester is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Handcuffed, the men were called to the podium one at a time.
Lester, of Ocala, appeared confused about his charges. He told the judge he’s a convicted felon and does not have a gun. He added he doesn’t know anything about the case or why he’s in custody.