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Sentencing delayed for one of Jacksonville's youngest killers

Sentencing has been delayed for one of Jacksonville's youngest killers.

A judge said he needs another week to decide what will happen to Sharron Townsend, a boy who was convicted of shooting and killing a man in 2014.

Sharron Townsend was 12 years old when he shot and killed Thomas Trent.

Judge Jack Schemer confirmed that Townsend waived his right to be sentenced as a juvenile. He faces 10 to 40 years in prison.

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A Supreme Court ruling changed sentencing guidelines for young people.

The Supreme Court effectively banned mandatory life sentences without parole for all juveniles in 2012. The court called it unconstitutional, stating the sentences need to be examined on a case-by-case basis.

Townsend's lawyers said despite being a product of his upbringing, he is now taking classes in jail and being a "leader."

On Wednesday, Townsend took the stand to apologize for what he did when he was 12 years old.

"I want to apologize to Mr. Trent's family. I'm truly sorry for what happened. I really wish he was here for y'all. Y'all really seem like nice people. Words can't explain how I feel," Townsend said.

Many of Trent's family members were in court and had to excuse themselves after seeing crime scene photos from 2014.

The state also presented several Facebook posts from Townsend's Facebook account from right after when Trent was shot and killed.

The messages show that Townsend admitted that he in fact had killed someone on 103rd Street. The defense spent a majority of the day telling the judge that Townsend is mentally slow and had a very hard upbringing. At times, Townsend was homeless and physically abused, the defense said.

Trent's family members told the judge they want to see Townsend serve the maximum sentence with no parole.

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