Third suspect charged in lottery store murder

Published 2:40 pm Monday, November 18, 2013

An Atmore man was recently charged with murder and is now being considered a third suspect in connection with the November 2012 shooting death of a Davisville, Fla., lottery store owner.

Michael Brad Orso, 28, of Atmore, was indicted by a grand jury last week in Escambia County, Fla., and was arrested Friday in Alabama, according to court reports. Orso waived extradition from Alabama and was transported to the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola on Friday afternoon.

Two other men from the Atmore area — 25-year-old Malcolm McGhee Jr., and 21-year-old Brent Lambeth — have already been charged with murder in connection to the same fatal shooting. Orso, McGhee and Lambeth are accused of shooting 74-year-old Thomas “Tommy” Kroll during a Nov. 6, 2012, robbery of Kroll’s State Line O’ Yes Lotto store.

Lambeth has pleaded no contest to his charge of second-degree murder. Under the terms of his plea deal, he will receive no more than 30 years in prison, as long as he testifies against McGhee, who is accused of pulling the trigger to shoot Kroll.

McGhee faces charges of premeditated first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm, according to court reports. Jury selection for his trial was scheduled to begin Monday, Nov. 18.