Teen Found Guilty In Cop Murder Trial
19-Year-Old To Be Sentenced To Life In Prison
POSTED: Thursday, July 2, 2009
UPDATED: 1:10 pm EDT July 3,
2009
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A jury on Thursday found a 19-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder in the death of an Orlando police officer.
Hugo Terry, 19, was also found guilty of attempted robbery with a firearm and petty theft in connection with the death of 52-year-old Alfred Gordon, who was off duty when he was shot after taking money out of an ATM at the Pine Hills Bank of America on Oct. 4, 2007.
The defense representing Terry rested its case earlier in the day without calling any witnesses. Terry told the judge he would not testify in his own defense.
Terry's co-defendant, Davin Smith, is accused of pulling the trigger on Gordon. Orlando police said Terry was with Smith and surveillance footage from the ATM shows Terry using a stolen ATM card in the moments before Gordon used the machine.
Defense attorney Junior Barrett argued before the judge Thursday morning that the case should be dropped because the prosecution failed to prove that Terry was a willing participant in the attempted robbery or shooting of Gordon.
The judge said there is enough evidence in the case to let the jury decide Terry's fate.
Terry turned down a plea agreement that would have sentenced him to 25 years in jail in exchange for testifying against Smith.
Terry, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Smith's trial is scheduled to begin later this month. He could face the death penalty if found guilty of Gordon's murder.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Copyright 2009 by Internet Broadcasting Systems and
Local6.com.
All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.