Jurors were shown of crime scene photos, walked through bullet-ridden evidence and heard from key witnesses and forensics experts.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On the second day of the trial concerning the death of 13-year-old Prince Holland, attention shifted to the presentation of harrowing crime-scene evidence and moving accounts from witnesses, including a young survivor present in the vehicle.
Rebecca Grant, who previously served as a crime scene detective with JSO, took the stand to recount her examination of the site. She captured photographs of the victims’ SUV and took note of the bullet holes, blood patterns, broken glass, and pieces of clothing at the location.
She led the jury through an extensive set of over 300 images depicting the extensive damage inflicted on both the exterior and interior of the vehicle, the shell casings found nearby, and bullet-related damage to clothing retrieved from the scene.
The defense questioned her on whether any of the collected evidence could incontrovertibly connect their clients—Marcel Johnson or Kentrevious Garard—to the shooting in question. Grant confessed she couldn’t establish a direct link to either of the accused.
Testimony was also heard from officers dispatched to the crime scene, including Officer David Perry, who recounted providing assistance to the driver, Jalen Mackintire-Burroughs, who had been critically injured.
Officer Travis Ferrari confirmed first responders checked on Prince Holland and the others before evidence collection began.
One of the most poignant testimonies came from a child witness who was inside the SUV when the attack occurred. He initially mistook the gunshots for fireworks but soon realized he had been hit. He remembered the shots coming from the driver’s side as he attempted to flee while the car was peppered with bullets. However, he was unable to identify the shooter or describe the attacker’s vehicle, and he mentioned not having known Johnson or Garard before that evening.
Johnson’s defense, led by Peter Venuti, emphasized the absence of eyewitnesses placing him at the shooting and the lack of physical evidence tying him to the act. They challenged the relevance of certain images and objected to showing some to Johnson’s jury, with the judge sustaining one such objection.
Garard’s defense, led by John Cascone and Stephanie Jamieson, similarly argued the state’s evidence is circumstantial. They engaged Grant on her inability to identify firearm caliber from casings, and questioned the value of DNA and photography evidence processed days after the scene.
Throughout the day, the court also navigated technical issues — the live feed was briefly pulled when graphic images were shown, and jurors’ availability dates were discussed to keep the trial on schedule.
Background on the Case
The shooting occurred on December 3, 2022, as the SUV carrying Prince Holland, fellow teenagers, and a youth football coach sat at an intersection on Moncrief Road and New Kings Road. Prince died from a gunshot wound to the head; two others in the car, including the coach, were also wounded.
Investigators allege Johnson drove the suspect vehicle, while Garard fired the fatal rounds in what they claim was a coordinated attack tied to rival group tensions.
During opening statements, the prosecution previewed plans to present social media evidence (including Johnson’s Instagram Live video showing a handgun), surveillance video, phone records, and testimony from a cooperating witness implicating Garard as the shooter
Defense attorneys have pushed back, arguing that the evidence is not enough to meet the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
