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McGhee Guilty, Gets Life In Lottery Store Murder
November 21, 2013
An Escambia County jury found 25-year old Malcolm Troy McGhee guilty of first degree murder for the shooting death of 74-year old Thomas “Tommy” Kroll during a robbery on November 6, 2012, at the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97.
Immediately after the unanimous jury verdict late Wednesday, Judge Linda Nobles sentenced McGhee to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“Justice was done today,” Kroll’s wife of 44-years, Kathy Kroll, told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday night. “The jury did their job, and we are pleased with the verdict and thank everyone for their prayers and support at this time.”
“Tommy we love and miss you, and justice was done for you,” she said.
According to testimony, McGhee, Brent Lambeth and Micheal Orso planned a robbery at the State Line O’Yes Lotto to take cash, scratch-off lottery tickets and a synthetic substance commonly known as Spice.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, the “Spice” being sold by Kroll as incense was 100 percent legal under Florida law at the time of the murder. Laws banning the substance went into effect at a later date.
McGhee and Lambeth were wearing ski masks when they entered the store, armed with a handgun. Gunfire was exchanged with Kroll, with multiple witnesses testifying that McGhee was the shooter. McGhee was struck once when a bullet ricocheted off a large cross pendant he was wearing around his neck. Kroll was struck three times, including once in the head, and was pronounced deceased at the scene. McGhee and Lambeth fled the scene before the first law enforcement arrived.
The defense argued that McGhee fired his weapon in self defense, and that the trio may have discussed the robbery but they were high on Spice and never intended to follow through on the plan.
Lambeth, 21, previously pleaded no contest to second degree murder. Under his plea deal, he will receive no more than 30 years in prison in exchange for his testimony against McGhee and Orso.
Orso, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder for allegedly assisting in planning the robbery and providing the the gun used in Kroll’s murder. Arrested just last week, he is scheduled to make his first court appearance on December 6.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
32 Responses to “McGhee Guilty, Gets Life In Lottery Store Murder”
The innocent only need justice.
The guilty need mercy
Mr Kroll is gone and no amount of blood will bring him back.
I am relieved for the families of McGhee and Lambet that they will not face the death penalty, hopefully Orso’s family will be spared. I must admit though had Mr Kroll been my father or loved one, my perspective and opinion would probably be much different.
Mercy is for the benefit of the innocent and in this case it is the families of the guilty.
I pray that Mr Kroll’s family can find peace and closure as difficult as it surely must be.
A person can spend 18 years grooming a child to be a good person but at some point they become their own person. And if they make a bad decision should you stop loving them and does it mean they were raised wrong. Everyone is always so quick to blame a parent or how a child was raised as to why they done something wrong. Thats is not the case. You should never say ‘not my child’ because you dont know what your child will do or how you would react to it unless you have been in the situation. There is nothing good about this situation. My deepest sympathy goes out to the kroll family. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but please think before you attack the parents of these young men. How they raised there children has nothing to do with the descision that the young men made. They simply have an unconditional love for their child like a parent should.
This post is for Tonya and Ashley please tell the community what relationship you are to these killers. It appears that you two women have some type of attachment to them. At one time they may have been good individuals but when they went in that store that ended. They have no one but themselves to blame.
Wondering,
Since you asked, successful parenting is whatever produces decent humans.
In contrast, unsuccessful parenting is whatever fails to produce decent humans. Methods vary.
Results are uncertain.
Success is subjective.
Failure usually makes the news and people suffer.
Excuses don’t change facts.
David for honesty and happiness
@ God will– as to killing someone who killed another—would an eye for an eye fit. I don’t recall God saying that some times death is not the right penalty in the Bible. The good part of the electric chair was the testing caused the lights to dim in the prison and the next on the list could reflect on what was coming. The use of an injection lets the person stop breathing and die. The families will have a hard time, but this was caused by their own family member, not those of us who work and save. It is only upon the killers head that he spend life in prison and cause his kids and the rest of his family hard ships.
*David for personal responsibility
and successful parenting
David Huie Green
PLEASE DEFINE SUCCESSFUL PARENTING!
No Tonya you missed something. McGhee was judged by a jury of his peers, found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The only person who is to blame is himself.
Let me just start off by saying that this is an extremely sad situation for all parties involved and their families. I have heard several times that Mr Kroll should not have been selling Spice, and that he is just as guilty for selling this drug. He has been labeled a “drug dealer” and had he not been selling the Spice he would still be here. That is just plain immaturity. At the time the Spice was being sold it was 100% legal!! Mr Kroll was an older gentleman so he may not have even known what the spice was being used for. OR, if he did know it was used for smoking, he may have thought that since it was allowed for sale in stores that it was comparable to tobacco and maybe it was safer than smoking marijuana which is illegal. To say this is his fault because he sold the Spice is immature and just sad. If someone walks into a gas station with the intent to rob it of money and alcohol, and in the process kills the store owner, is it the store owners fault because they sold alcohol at their store? NO! The only person responsible is the one who decided to rob the store. I personally knew TJ and before I knew he had a drug problem I thought he was a respectful young man. I understand when someone has a drug problem it turns them into someone unlike their normal self. But that also isn’t an excuse for committing a crime. It was TJ’s decision to live the life of drugs. And now he has to pay the consequences of his actions. I do still think he is a respectful person who just got caught up with drugs and made a very careless and reckless decision on that day. I believe with my whole heart that his own life was spared that day by the Grace of God. I don’t think it was a coincidence that the bullet that was fired at TJ was caught by a cross hanging on his chest. I believe God has a plan for his life, and maybe this whole thing had to happen to infact save him and save his soul. Their is purpose in everyone’s life and TJ was given a second chance at life. I believe he has an incredible story to one day tell, and what happened in his situation can be used to save the lives of people caught up in drugs. Especially the younger ones who are being influenced by the culture of The world today. I will continue to pray for TJ, and for all the families and friends involved. I ask that you all do the same.
And God says do not JUDGE for thou be JUDGED so just remember all of us will be judged one day and I hope none of you have done no wrong because remember who hung on the Cross next to Jesus… prayers to the families and our father above will Judge us and him only no matter what people say about you or your family
WOW!!! Take a life and still have yours, @ our expense! Some changes are seriously needed!
They will sit in prison and not have to worry about paying their utility bills or buy groceries…but on the other hand they can’t go out and eat in a nice restaurant or order pizza and all of this because they were to lazy to get a job and buy the spice the legal way.
Tonya,
If someone kills by forcing drugs into someone else’s body, that is indeed just as evil as shooting them twice in the chest and once in the head.
If someone decides to kill HIMSELF by taking drugs (including alcohol or nicotine), that person is personally just as responsible as if he had killed himself with a shotgun.
WE are what we do.
David for personal responsibility
and successful parenting
Yes Ashley I can safely say I am SURE that I am not capable of doing this because I will never ever go into a store with a gun to rob it of cash and spice. I know that as a fact. Yes all 3 families are hurting because of an idiotic irrational decision by a criminal.
God will take care of all…………..as in this case , yes an innocent man has lost his life , but every one god knows his or her time that he wants them. It is sad for all connected to this crime. TJ has been spared for some reason god has a plan for him because if not, the bullet that struck the cross he was wearing would have killed him because it was to the chest. If it be by example or just to make him sit now for the rest of his life to think of all the wrong he has done and all the good kids he has influenced to do wrong so be it. But he alone has to live with it. Prayers go out to all this crime has touched.
i pray 4 kahy and her family.and for these boys family no one wins here
Lot of excuses
None worth hearing
Should have been Death
God says “thou shall not kill.” That means everyone!
There is no differant than killing with a gun than with drugs that kill and no one knows what these families are going thou so instead of putting their kids down why not try to pray for them because you never no when it could be you in their shoes..praying for the families of all ..
How could you possibly say self defense when you entered this mans business in ski masks with a gun. Seriously!!!
I agree with the others that he should have received the death penalty AND that the method of execution should be more harsh than a painless lethal injection. Old Sparky or even better would be a firing squad because he killed Mr. Kroll with a gun and shot him three times. HE should be shot at least three times.
And for you ASHLEY and the family of the murderers, I’m sorry that you have to suffer as well for the actions of your relative. But that person made a CHOICE. He went into that store with GUNS for the intention of committing a CRIME and they decided to KILL. They didn’t just kill Mr. KrolI and hurt his family, they hurt YOU too.
I think that EVERY murderer should be executed by a method similar to that used on their VICTIMS. I and most civilized people would never do what they did, so don’t you try to claim anymore that we would do the same or that we would think like that.
Lasty for the criminal defense atty to claim self-defense because Mr. Kroll had a gun is just crazy. This is why criminal defense attorneys are just as much scum as the criminals they defend, in my opinion.
Should have received the death penalty. You plan to rob someone and then kill them sounds premeditated to me.
Atleast he is off the street for the rest of his life. What a waste of a life.
They should all get to sit in OLD SPARKEY..went in and killed a Man just trying to make a living. This is such a waste.
Yo Ashley…YEP…all of the Families are losing, but one Family has lost a Family Member for ever through no fault of theirs! YES…the Death Penalty would have been the right end in this case. And no…most are not capable of this type of CRIME because they are not THUGS and work for a living. And since I decide to live a life free of crime…I will never be in that situation in order to find out what I would do! Sorry three people decided to be CRIMINALS…but now they have to pay. Even in Jail, they families still get to see them. There is a Wife that will never see her Beloved Husband again!!!!!
“oh wait I forgot all you people yellin death penalty dont think ur capable of doin anything like this??? If u have never been in this situation u dont know what you would do….when its our time to go we will go….there is nothing anyone can do about that…..”
Ashley, thankfully the vast majority of people are not capable of committing a murder during the commission of an armed robbery. You attempt to somehow rationalize and justify McGhee’s actions are absolutely frightening. Paraphrasing your post, “…when it is your time to go”, I just hope that it is not in the same manner that Mr. Kroll died.
Ashley,
We know we are capable of heinous ctimes.
We just choose not to commit them.
David for those who care
Prayers for all the families involved
im glad troy didnt get the death penalty….sorry for the loss but u dont know what goes on in a persons head ….. I feel for all three families…..people make mistakes in life no matter what sin is sin …..oh wait I forgot all you people yellin death penalty dont think ur capable of doin anything like this??? If u have never been in this situation u dont know what you would do….when its our time to go we will go….there is nothing anyone can do about that…..I pray for all 3 families but how dare some of you say the things u do … these people of all three families have family that are hurting an will for years to come …..
No it took the jury less then 1 hour to return the verdict. I was there.
All of them should have got death
Wow i use to work there!! Abd tommy was my boss!! This is crazy!
Was the death penalty not an option? The tax payers will take care of him while the innocent is gone forever. JS.