Man Convicted Of Killing Former Business Partner And Dumping Body At Sea
SANTA ANA (AP) — A Virginia man has been convicted of killing his business partner during a sailing trip and dumping his body in the ocean off the Southern California coast.
An Orange County jury on Tuesday found Gary Shawkey, of Mechanicsville, Va., guilty of murder for financial gain and grand theft.
Prosecutors say Shawkey lured 71-year-old Robert Vendrick on a sailing trip in February 2008 under the guise of finalizing a business deal. The retired software specialist from Phoenix was never seen again.
Prosecutors say Shawkey got Vendrick to invest $1 million in a series of projects that all failed. They say when Vendrick started to suspect he would never get a return on his investments, Shawkey decided to kill him.
Shawkey faces up to life in prison when he's sentenced next month.
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