Man Convicted Of Killing Girlfriend With Machete In Same Kitchen He Shot His Brother 29 Years Ago
ORINDA, Calif. (AP) - A Northern California jury has convicted a man of hacking his live-in girlfriend to death with a machete.
The Contra Costa County jury deliberated for seven hours before convicting James Collin in the 2012 slaying of 56-year-old Evangeline Cumbe Devera.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/1yuh8M4 ) jurors rejected testimony by the 65-year-old man that he was a longtime victim of domestic violence.
Prosecutors say Devera had a fractured skull from multiple hacking wounds and a severed hand.
Collin had previously been convicted of battery for attacking Devera with a phone.
In in 1986, he shot his brother to death in the same kitchen where he attacked his girlfriend.
Prosecutors say that death was ruled accidental based on statements by Collin and his father, who were the only witnesses.
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Information from: The San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.
