Young teenage murder suspect pleads guilty

One of Jacksonville's youngest murder suspects in recent memory has entered a guilty plea in Duval County court.

Sharron Townsend was 12 when he was arrested for the death of a homeless man. 

54-year-old Thomas Trent was found shot in the head near an abandoned restaurant on Jacksonville's Westside in 2014.

According to a plea agreement set up in court on Tuesday, a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence will be waived and Townsend will be ineligible for juvenile sanctions.

The deal was done over his mother's objections after Townsend - now 14 - told the judge during the hearing that he was OK with it.

The judge accepted the plea and will decide how much time he will serve, which could be between 10 and 40 years.

A pre-sentence report will take about 5 weeks to complete, per the judge.