‘Thug music’ murder verdict divided
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 47-year-old software developer was convicted Saturday of attempted murder for shooting into a car full of teenagers after an argument over what he called their “thug music,” but jurors couldn’t agree on the most serious charge of firstdegree murder.
After more than 30 hours of jury deliberations over four days, a mistrial was declared on the murder charge that Michael Dunn faced in the fatal shooting of one of the black teens. The 12 jurors found him guilty of three counts of attempted second-degree murder and a count of firing into an occupied car.
Dunn was charged with fatally shooting 17-year-old Jordan Davis, of Marietta, Ga., in 2012 after the argument over loud music coming from the parked SUV occupied by Davis and three friends outside a Jacksonville convenience store. Dunn had described the music to his fiancée as “thug music.”
Dunn showed no emotion as the verdicts were read, but his attorneys said later he was in disbelief. A sentencing date will be set next month. Each attempted 2nd degree murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Davis’ parents each left the courtroom in tears, and afterward his mother, Lucia McBath, expressed gratitude for the verdict. Sunday would have been the teen’s 19th birthday.
“We are so grateful for the charges that have been brought against him,” said McBath said. “We are so grateful for the truth. We are so grateful that the jurors were able to understand the common sense of it all.”
On Dunn’s potentially lengthy sentence, Davis’ father, Ron Davis, said: “He’s going to learn that he must be remorseful for the killing of my son, that it was not just another day at the office.”
State Attorney Angela Corey said her office planned to retry Dunn on a first-degree murder charge, and she hoped jurors would come forward and tell prosecutors where they questioned their case. Jurors declined to talk to the media.
Earlier in the day, the panel said in a note to Judge Russell Healey that they were having trouble reaching agreement on the murder charge.