Woman convicted In 2018 Sacramento murder motivated by mistaken revenge
A Sacramento woman was convicted of first degree murder in the 2018 fatal shooting of a man she mistakenly blamed for her father's death, authorities said.
Julisha Douglas was found guilty on Wednesday of shooting Michael Craig on January 14, 2018, in Sacramento. The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said in a press release on Thursday that the jury also found true a use of gun allegation.
Craig was sitting in his car when he and Douglas got into a verbal exchange, and Douglas then shot Craig in the head, according to police. At the time, Craig's girlfriend was lying down in the back seat of the car after having been asleep and witnessed the murder but was unseen by Douglas, according to court statements first reported by the Davis Vanguard.
After Sacramento police released video of the shooting in the hopes the public would help identify the suspect, a person contacted police to say they recognized the shooter as Douglas. The individual also told investigators that Douglas may have been seeking revenge because she believed the victim was involved in her father's death.
Investigators later found evidence placing Douglas in the area at the time of the shooting, and also located social media posts from Douglas stating she wanted revenge for her father's death. the DA's Office said. Investigators later determined Craig was not actually responsible for a fatal drug overdose that killed Douglas's father, the Vanguard reported.
The case was delayed for years because of multiple factors, such as the time it took identify Douglas as a suspect, a statewide COVID-19 court backlog, and multiple pretrial disputes over bail, bias claims, and legal complexities surrounding Douglas's prior felony strike allegations.
The DA's Office said that an allegation that Douglas has prior strike convictions for assault with a firearm with the personal use of a firearm, and discharge of firearm at an inhabited dwelling will be determined at her sentencing, which was scheduled for Nov. 20.
Douglas faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in prison.
