Jason Young convicted of first-degree murder in pregnant wife's death
(CBS/WRAL) RALEIGH, N.C. - Jason Young was convicted of first-degree murder on Monday in the 2006 beating death of his pregnant wife in their North Carolina home.
A first-degree murder conviction means an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to CBS affiliate WRAL. Young was taken to Central Prison in Raleigh after the verdict, where he will stay until he's placed into the state prison system.
Young, 37, was accused of beating his five-months pregnant wife to death in their home. Michelle Young was 29-years-old when she was found face-down in a pool of blood by her sister, Meredith Fisher. Michelle Young's two-year-old daughter was hiding nearby.
According to WRAL, Michelle Young's family cried and hugged one another as the verdict was read. They told the station they were "happy that justice has been served."
The guilty verdict came after 18 days of testimony, during which prosecutors sought to prove that the woman's death was a result of a volatile relationship, WRAL reports. The state argued that Jason Young wanted out of his marriage, and killed his wife when the opportunity presented itself.
Young claimed that he was at a hotel on a business trip in Hillsville, Va., which is 160 miles from their home in Raleigh, the night that his wife died.
This was Young's second trial. His first, last June, resulted in a mistrial. In that trial, the jury deliberated for three days but could not reach a unanimous decision, with eight votes in favor of acquittal and four for conviction.