Son of murdered 91-year-old Norman Albert Sr. finds some relief after conviction
BALTIMORE - It's been more than two years since Norman Albert Sr. was killed, but his son said the 91-year-old is getting justice, thanks to a guilty verdict.
A jury convicted Gary Parrish Tuesday in the 2021 murder of Albert Sr. was found dead in his home.
Parrish was found guilty on second-degree murder, with the jury declining to convict him on first-degree murder. The jury foreman told WJZ the state's case lacked evidence to support a first-degree murder conviction.
In the past, Albert Jr. told WJZ closure was impossible, but the outcome is bringing him some relief.
"The only relief [I have] is that this guy isn't going to be able to harm anybody else again. He's not going to be able to hurt anybody, destroy people's lives like he did mine," he said.
The state's case focused on the evidence that tied Parrish to the crime: footprints found at Albert Sr.'s home and that the 91-year-old's blood was found on Parrish's shoes.
The jury reached their verdict nearly two hours into their second day of deliberation.
"I'm happy the jury took the time to evaluate all the evidence," assistant state's attorney Dan Trimble said shortly after the verdict was read.
Prosecutors also argued the severity of the beating warranted a first-degree murder conviction.
"The way [Parrish] beat my father, the pictures I saw were horrifying. What he did to my dad, no one deserves that," Albert Jr. said.
During the trial, Parrish's public defender, Coriolanus Ferrusi, tried to cast doubt on the evidence's credibility. In his questions to witnesses and closing argument, he noted the tests done on the evidence weren't definitive.
Ferrusi declined to comment on the verdict.
Albert Jr. said while the trial's over, the pain over what happened will stay for a long time.
"[My dad is] always going to be in my memories and my thoughts. I hope the good Lord is always with my dad," he said.
Parrish is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 12, 2024. He has 10 days to file for a new trial.
