Eric Rivera, Jr. stands as the jury enters the courtroom for closing arguments at Rivera's trial Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013.
A Florida man was convicted in the 2007 shooting death of Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor on Monday. Eric Rivera Jr., 23, was convicted of second-degree murder and armed burglary. He could face life in prison.
The jury deliberated for 16 hours over four days, according to the Associated Press. In his testimony, Rivera insisted he was not the shooter and that he stayed in the car during the entire incident. He was 17-years-old at the time of the incident.
Four other men are accused of being involved in the burglary including Venjah Hunte, who is currently serving a 29-year prison sentencing after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and armed burglary. The remaining three will be tried at a later date, the AP reports.
In a taped confession Rivera admitted that the five, who are from Fort Myers, Fla., drove to Taylor’s house with the intention of stealing cash the NFL player kept there. They didn’t realize until after the break-in that Taylor was at home due to a knee injury and not away at a scheduled game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to witness testimony, Taylor was shot in the thigh in his Miami-area home after confronting the group of intruders with a machete outside of his bedroom. Taylor’s former girlfriend and their 18-month-old daughter were also in the house at the time of the shooting, although neither was hurt
River’s sentencing date has not been set, and neither Rivera’s nor Taylor’s family commented after the verdict.
[AP]