Killeen man pleads guilty to 2020 murder, 1 co-defendant set for jury trial in March

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A Killeen man pleaded guilty to a felony charge earlier this week while a jury trial is set for one of two co-defendants who are accused of gunning down a 24-year-old man in 2020. Antonio Trevon Edwards Hodges, 24, pleaded guilty on Monday during a hearing in the 27th Judicial District Court and is set to be sentenced on May 12. Hodges and two co-defendants, Ahmad Elijah Jamel Demps, 24, and Tyshawn Vincente Navarro, 28, were each indicted on March 29, 2023, on a murder charge in the death of Jonathon Allen Hampton.

Why it matters

This case highlights the ongoing challenges in Killeen, Texas, around gun violence and the need for effective prosecution and sentencing of those involved in fatal shootings. The plea deal and upcoming trial also raise questions about the role of plea bargaining and jury trials in addressing serious violent crimes.

The details

According to police, Hodges drove Demps and Navarro to the location where they are accused of shooting and killing Hampton on September 14, 2020. A witness told police he was walking with Hampton when he heard gunshots and saw a Black man under a streetlight shooting at them. Hampton was shot in the head and died two days later. Police found approximately 28 shell casings from a .223-caliber rifle and a 9-mm handgun at the scene. Detectives developed a timeline using witness statements, social media videos, GPS location data, and phone records that allegedly showed threatening exchanges between Hampton and Hodges, Demps, and another man named Malcolm Laborn, who was later killed in an unrelated shooting.

• On September 14, 2020, around 2:19 a.m., Killeen police responded to a shooting in the 1300 block of Fairview Drive.
• On September 16, 2020, Hampton died at the hospital.
• On March 29, 2023, Hodges, Demps, and Navarro were indicted on murder charges.
• On Monday, Hodges pleaded guilty to a felony charge.
• Hodges is set to be sentenced on May 12, 2023.

What they’re saying

What’s next

A bond reduction hearing is set in Navarro's case for March 5, 2023, in the 27th court. The judge in Hodges' case will decide on his sentencing on May 12, 2023.