Gainesville man will serve at least 25 years in prison for a second-degree murder charge

Published: Jul. 7, 2022 at 1:39 AM EDT

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - 21-year-old Demetrius Hardy is set to serve at least 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and other charges.

In 2020, prosecutors say Hardy killed Kayla Jackson in downtown Gainesville.

Police say she was a bystander caught in the middle of a dispute.

They say Hardy was having an argument with a group of gang members in the state attorney’s office parking lot.

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Hardy had been released from prison just weeks before the killing.

He was serving time for grand theft and fleeing law enforcement.

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