Man Convicted Of Killing Roommate Over Stolen Beer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pennsylvania man accused of beating his roommate to death over stolen beer has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
A judge handed down the verdict Monday in the nonjury trial of 35-year-old Justin Vankirk.
Police say the Brentwood resident told investigators he confronted 58-year-old roommate Charles Parker about the Keystone Ice beer last year and fought with him, then left him lying on the floor and went to bed.
Brentwood Man Found Guilty Of Killing Roommate Over Stolen Beer
Vankirk says he returned home the next afternoon and found Parker not breathing. A defense attorney conceded during a trial last week
Vankirk punched Parker multiple times but said Parker's fatal head injury could have come from falling down while drunk, something she alleged he had a history of doing.
The judge says Vankirk didn't mean to kill his longtime friend but his actions caused the death.