A 19-year-old Tucson man accused, along with his brother, of beating a homeless man to death in April 2008 was convicted of negligent homicide Friday.
Scott Allen King is facing between four and eight years in prison for killing Steve Gedatus, 62, when King is sentenced next month by Pima County Superior Court Judge Edgar Acuña.
Deputy Pima County Attorney Michael Linton asked jurors to convict King of second-degree murder. Defense attorney Steve West argued someone else was responsible for Gedatus' death.
West said he plans to appeal the verdict.
During King's trial, Glen Harn, 48, told jurors he, Gedatus and three other homeless men were taking turns panhandling near Interstate 10 and South Craycroft Road when a group of four young men walked by.
The men came back, and one of them immediately started to harass Gedatus, Harn said.
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The young man grabbed Gedatus' pack of tobacco and dumped it on the ground, Harn said. He then kicked Gedatus twice in the left side, once in the ribs and once in the thighs.
The group then left, Harn said.
According to prior court proceedings, Gedatus declined to file a complaint against King and King's brother for fear of retaliation and did not seek medical treatment. His body was found three days later in the same area. An autopsy revealed he suffered five broken ribs and a ruptured spleen during the attack.
King and his brother, Adam Scott King, 29, were identified as suspects and arrested the following month. Adam King was convicted of second-degree murder in December, but Acuña granted him a new trial, saying he erred when giving jury instructions.
Prosecutors have appealed Acuña's decision, but the Arizona Court of Appeals has not yet issued a ruling on the matter.
If Adam Scott King's conviction is upheld, he will receive somewhere between 10 and 22 years in prison. During his trial, prosecutors told jurors Adam Scott King also kicked and punched Gedatus.
