Orange County man pleads guilty to killing teenage Walmart diaper thief
An Orange County man pleaded guilty Friday to fatally shooting a teenage diaper thief outside an Orange County Walmart.
Investigators said Lonnie Leonard shot and killed a 19-year-old man outside an Orange County Walmart on Clarcona-Ocoee Road in 2017.
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Leonard’s attorney initially indicated that he was going to back out of the plea deal and wanted to go to trial.
Leonard’s case has dragged on for years.
He has never seemed to be satisfied with his attorneys until now.
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He has had several different attorneys over the years and was set to take a plea deal a few years ago, but backed out of that plea deal at the last minute.
Orange County deputies said Leonard shot Arthur Adams in the back while Adams and some friends were running away from Walmart with diapers.
Leonard was charged with manslaughter with a weapon and aggravated battery with a firearm.
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He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge, and the state agreed to drop all the other charges.
He faces up to 10 years in prison.
One of the charges that were dropped carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years and could have been life in prison if he had gone to trial and was convicted.
His sentencing is set for next week.
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