Peter Dabish Verdict: Powerhouse Gym Co-Founder's Son Guilty of Diana DeMayo Murder
DETROIT (CBS/AP) Peter Dabish, the son of Powerhouse Gyms co-founder Norman Dabish, has been convicted of first-degree murder and torture charges in the March 11 death of Diana DeMayo.
A jury in Detroit returned the verdict Monday. The 24-year-old faces a mandatory term of life in prison without parole when sentenced Nov. 18.
Prosecutors said that Dabish brutally beat the 23-year-old woman to death, just hours after she helped Dabish move into a Detroit apartment tower. He was on the run for weeks following the killing, say prosecutors.
A medical examiner said DeMayo was killed from blunt force trauma after receiving 10 blows to the head. The defense has said DeMayo's head injuries may have been caused by trips and falls while intoxicated.
The murder happened a few days after drug investigators found a suspected marijuana-growing operation in a condo that Dabish had rented in the Detroit neighborhood of Waterford, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Dabish also allegedly placed obscene and harassing phone calls to DeMayo's family while she lay in the hospital and even after she died, according to the paper.
Dabish's late father co-founded Powerhouse, now called Powerhouse Gyms International, in 1975.