Carail Weeks Police photo
A second trial has elicited a guilty verdict for the man charged with killing a 14-year-old Englewood girl, shot while she got ready for school one morning in 2006.
Carail Weeks was convicted yesterday of first degree murder in the death of Starkesia Reed. Weeks was tried on the same charges last year, but a judge declared a mistrial when the jury couldn't reach a unanimous verdict.
Starkesia was hit by a stray bullet that pierced the window of her family's Englewood home in March, 2006. Police say Weeks was firing an assault rifle at another man, who was not hit.
Sentencing for Weeks is set for next month.
Starkesia's murder stirred the community. Her mother, Denise Reed, became a familiar face and voice at anti-violence rallies across Chicago. Starkesia was a popular freshman honors student at Harper High School. Her funeral drew more than 1200 people.
Comments
I have to admit, if I were on that jury, I might have had a hard time understanding how it can be "First Degree murder" to kill a person who wasn't his target.
Since I'm not on the jury, I don't have to worry about it. As long as the jury is satisfied that they got the right guy, I'm glad to see it come to some kind of end, even if it can't be a clean ending for the Reed family.
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