Jury finds Washington man guilty of triple-murder in cornfield

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — A jury has found an Umatilla man guilty in the deaths of three Pasco people in a cornfield in August 2014.


The Tri-City Herald reports (http://goo.gl/rleKAY ) Francisco Resendez Miranda was convicted Monday in Benton County Superior Court of three counts of aggravated first-degree murder. The jury did not find that he knew one of the victims was close to nine months pregnant when she was killed.

Prosecutors say Resendez Miranda fatally shot Abigail Torres-Renteria, 23, Victoria Torres, 19, and David Perez-Saucedo, 22. Their bodies were found 15 miles from Resendez Miranda's apartment.

Court documents show the killings may have been out of retaliation for a break-in at his apartment the night before.

The jury returned the verdict against the 24-year-old after deliberating for about 15 hours over three days.

Resendez Miranda faces a life sentence without parole.