BEND, Ore. (AP) — After deliberating about seven hours over two days, a Bend, Ore., jury has convicted a 62-year-old man of murder in the Dec. 4 shooting death of his 29-year-old son during a confrontation.
The prosecutor painted James Hargrave of Tumalo as a man who intentionally killed his son Steven.
The defense told jurors that the elder Hargrave was a frail man who had suffered a stroke, was partially paralyzed and fired in self-defense in a confrontation with his drunken son.
Sentencing was set for Nov. 16. Under state law, the mandatory sentence for murder is life in prison with a 25-year mandatory minimum.
In a statement after the verdict was returned Friday, Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty said while all murder cases involve tragedy, this one was "extremely heart-rending" because of the relationship between the defendant and the victim and the number of family members affected.
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Information from: KTVZ-TV, http://www.ktvz.com/
