UPDATE (WKOW) -- Jurors determined Sophea Mouth was guilty of two felony counts against him.
Mouth was found guilty of second degree intentional homicide in the death of Thomas Dreger and guilty of attempted homicide in the shooting of Gregory Pongratz.
The verdict came back late Thursday night.
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MADISON (WKOW) -- A Dane County jury deliberates in the murder trial of Sophea Mouth in the killing of 70-year old Thomas Dreger, trying to decide whether Mouth's killing of Dreger was either intentional, a reckless homicide, or no crime at all.Jurors also are deciding whether Mouth attempted to kill Dreger's friend, Gregory Pongratz.
Authorities say Mouth shot both men in November 2015 at his auto shop, as Dreger and Pongratz came to evict him from Dreger's property over delinquent, land contract payments.In her closing argument, Assistant Dane County District Attorney Andrea Raymond said the victims never physically threatened Mouth, and he had no right to resort to deadly violence, even if Dreger was using bullying tactics to try to evict him.
Mouth's attorney, Assistant State Public Defender Stanley Woodard said Dreger had made previous threats to Mouth and Mouth feared him, and said Dreger rushed at Mouth before the shootings. Jurors will consider whether Mouth is guilty of first degree intentional homicide, second degree intentional homicide, or first degree reckless homicide, or not guilty.