GUILTY OH - Robert Ebright, 56, Licking County, 20 July 2007

George Gaona, 48, was indicted last year on felony counts of aggravated murder, murder, tampering with evidence, gross abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to commit arson and attempted witness intimidation in connection with Ebright's death and disappearance.

A Licking County jury found Gaona guilty today of all but the intimidation charge.

Common Pleas Judge Thomas Marcelain sentenced him to 30 years to life on the aggravated-murder charge, with three more years for using a gun. He also sentenced Gaona to five years in prison for tampering with evidence and a year each for the abuse of a corpse and conspiracy charges. All the sentences are to be served consecutively, which means Gaona will be in prison a minimum of 40 years before he's eligible for parole.

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A judge granted early release on Friday to the co-conspirator in the 2007 murder of a Pataskala man.

Sandra R. Holling, 51, formerly of San Antonio, Texas, was released by order of Licking County Common Pleas Judge David Branstool. Because of earlier jail time served, she was six years into a 10-year sentence for her role in the murder of Robert F. Ebright, 56.

Holling pleaded guilty in June 2011 to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder, a charge reduced from aggravated murder, in exchange for her testimony against accomplice George Gaona... Holling testified that Gaona had told her that he wanted to kill someone, and that it might be her. She suggested Ebright instead.

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