NEW YORK (AP) - A teenager accused of killing a radio reporter he met through a Craigslist ad offering sex for money was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday at his retrial.
The jury in state Supreme Court deliberated less than a day before convicting 19-year-old John Katehis in George Weber's killing. Weber was a freelancer for the national ABC News Radio network when his body was discovered by police in his Brooklyn apartment in March 2009. He had been stabbed about 50 times.
Prosecutors said the 47-year-old Weber had responded to Katehis' Craigslist ad offering sex for money.
Katehis' lawyers say their client felt threatened and was defending himself. He faces 25 years to life in prison at a sentencing scheduled for Dec. 7.
A mistrial was declared in a trial last year. Weber had also worked at WABC in New York and at stations in California, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
In a video recorded statement taken hours after his arrest, Katehis admitted taking $60 from Weber's pocket after the killing and replacing his bloody clothes with Weber's. Katehis was laughing at one point on the videotapes. When the jury returned its verdict, he smiled meekly.
The jury in state Supreme Court deliberated less than a day before convicting 19-year-old John Katehis in George Weber's killing. Weber was a freelancer for the national ABC News Radio network when his body was discovered by police in his Brooklyn apartment in March 2009. He had been stabbed about 50 times.
Prosecutors said the 47-year-old Weber had responded to Katehis' Craigslist ad offering sex for money.
Katehis' lawyers say their client felt threatened and was defending himself. He faces 25 years to life in prison at a sentencing scheduled for Dec. 7.
A mistrial was declared in a trial last year. Weber had also worked at WABC in New York and at stations in California, Colorado and Pennsylvania.
In a video recorded statement taken hours after his arrest, Katehis admitted taking $60 from Weber's pocket after the killing and replacing his bloody clothes with Weber's. Katehis was laughing at one point on the videotapes. When the jury returned its verdict, he smiled meekly.