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2 Convicted In Halloween Murder Of Good Samaritan In 2011

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Two men were have been found guilty in the Halloween murder of a good Samaritan in Canyon Country three years ago.

Diamonte Jerome McGhee, 20, of Canyon Country, and Eric Michael Edwards, 20, of Lancaster, were found guilty late Thursday in the murder of Alejandro Sanchez-Torrez on Oct. 31, 2011.

Prosecutors say Sanchez-Torrez came to the aid of a man who was being beaten and robbed when he was shot in the chest. The robbery victim was also hit by gunfire, but survived his injuries.

McGhee and Edwards were each convicted of one count each of first-degree murder and second-degree robbery, and four counts each of attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm, Deputy District Attorney Bradley Lieberman said.

The jury also found true a special circumstance allegation that the murder occurred during the commission of a robbery.

McGhee was also found to have personally fired the handgun during the murder and attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

He was also found guilty of assault with a semiautomatic firearm for a separate incident on Oct. 29, 2011.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict for the third defendant, Branden Trevaughn Higgs, 20, and he will be retried, officials said. A pretrial hearing for Higgs was scheduled for Dec. 5.

Because the defendants were juveniles at the time of the crime, they face life in prison without the possibility of parole or multiple life sentences.

McGhee and Edwards are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22 and Feb. 2, respectively.

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