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Shawna Forde, a founder of the anti-immigration group Minutemen American Defense Corps., has been convicted of murder in the 2009 slayings of an Arivaca man and his nine year-old daughter.
The Pima County jury now must decide whether Forde,
43, should face the death penalty.
Jurors reportedly deliberated for five hours on Friday before leaving for the weekend without announcing a verdict. This morning, after about two hours of deliberation, the jury returned its guilty verdict.
Prosecutors argued that Forde led a raid on the home of 29-year-old Raul Flores on May 30, 2009, looking for drugs and money.
During the raid, Forde shot and killed Flores, as well as his 9-year-old daughter, Bresenia.
Forde also shot Flores’ wife during the attack, but she survived, and
ultimately armed herself and chased away Forde and her accomplices in a
shootout that left one of the attackers, Forde’s co-defendant in the
shooting, Jason Eugene Bush, wounded.
Originally from Everett, Washington, Forde came to Arizona in early 2009, after a string of violent
incidents in her home town, including a near fatal attack on her ex husband.
The jury in the case will return tomorrow morning to begin the penalty phase of the trial.
