Trial begins in Apison tennis courts murder

photo Nathan Lalone, 20, has been indicted on murder charges in the shooting death of Christian Sosa.

Jury selection began this morning for a trial in the Nov. 16, 2011 ambush shooting murder of 19-year-old Christian Sosa near tennis courts in Apison.

Prosecutors allege that Sosa and his girlfriend, Meghan Bennett, were to meet up with friends Nathan Lalone, Tyler Conrad and Blakelen Adams that evening to either smoke or buy marijuana.

But, police say, Conrad and Adams dropped Lalone off in a wooded area near the courts where Lalone snuck through the trees, came upon Sosa's car and began firing bullets into the vehicle, killing Sosa and wounding Bennett.

In a 2011 preliminary hearing Bennett testified about the shooting. Sabrina Lovett, a then-teenage girl who rode in the car with the suspects after the shooting also testified in that hearing that she heard Lalone tell the other two men that he'd shot Sosa in the head.

Both are expected to testify.

Charges against Adams did not reach the grand jury and Conrad faced charges but died at his home on June 8, 2013.

For more see Wednesday's Times Free Press.


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