OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2014 fatal shooting of a jewelry store owner during a botched robbery.
Douglas County District Judge Marlon Polk issued a guilty verdict Monday in the bench trial for 19-year-old Milton Dortch Jr. The conviction carries a life in prison sentence.
Prosecutors say Dortch was 18 when he entered James Minshall Sr.'s Omaha jewelry store in September 2014 and attempted to rob it.
Dortch says he shot at Minshall because he saw the 71-year-old man attempt to retrieve a gun. Dortch testified during his short trial that he never intended to shoot his gun or kill anyone.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.