EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – A man convicted in a 2012 killing will likely spend life behind bars.
The Register-Guard reports 26-year-old A.J. Scott Nelson faced a death sentence in the killing of 22-year-old Eugene resident Celestino Gutierrez Jr.
Nelson was one of three people convicted in the death.
David Ray Taylor is on death row while Mercedes Crabtree serves a life sentence in prison. Crabtree will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
Gutierrez was kidnapped and killed so the three men could use his car in a bank robbery.
Defense attorneys Laurie Bender and Chris Clayhold argued Nelson is depressed, has post-traumatic stress disorder and was pressured by Taylor.
Jurors recommended a life sentence without the possibility of release.
A judge will sentence Nelson June 2 based on the jury’s recommendation.
Filed under: Crime, Murders, News, Oregon, Violent Crime
