A Tucson woman was convicted Friday of second-degree murder in connection with a fatal convenience store shooting two years ago.
The jury had been asked to convict Carole Ann Grijalva, 36, of first-degree murder in the January 2004 death of Michael Newton. But after deliberating 13 hours over three days, it convicted her of the less serious charge.
The jurors also convicted Grijalva of attempted second-degree murder in the shooting of Newton's companion, Keith Wright, 37. They found Grijalva not guilty of two counts of aggravated assault and a single count of armed robbery.
Grijalva is facing between 10 and 22 years in prison for the second-degree murder charge and between 4 and 12 years for the attempted murder count. It will be up to Pima County Superior Court Judge Richard Fields to decide if the sentences should run concurrently or consecutively.
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According to authorities, Wright and Larry Herman Kilgo Sr. arranged to meet at the Circle K store at 5301 E. Pima St. so Wright could buy some drugs from Kilgo.
While Kilgo was in the store, police say, Grijalva opened fire on Newton with a sawed-off .22 caliber rifle as he sat inside his car talking on a cell phone.
She then ran to the other side of the car and shot Wright four times, according to police.
Newton was killed, and Wright spent six weeks in a hospital recovering.
Defense attorney Thomas Hippert tried unsuccessfully to convince jurors that a third person with Kilgo and Grijalva was the actual killer.
Kilgo, 51, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in June after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery in the case.
Grijalva will be sentenced Oct. 2.
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