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Gallo convicted of murder for crash that killed Angels pitcher Adenhart
The jersey of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed on April 9, 2009 in a car crash, hangs in the dugout during the baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Angel Stadium April 10, 2009 in Anaheim, California.
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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A San Gabriel man was convicted of three counts of second-degree murder today for driving drunk and causing a wreck that killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two of his friends.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, 23, caused the April 9, 2009, crash in Fullerton that killed Adenhart, 22, his girlfriend Courtney Frances Stewart, 20, and his friend Henry Pearson, 25.
Jon Wilhite, 24, of Manhattan Beach, survived the crash, but had to have his skull reattached to his spine. Gallo's stepbrother, Raymond Rivera, broke his nose and wrist in the crash.
The seven-woman, five-man jury deliberated for about 15 minutes Thursday then all day Friday. They resumed deliberating this morning and announced around 10 a.m. that they had reached a verdict.
Gallo showed no reaction as the verdict was announced.
While the jury deliberated Friday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey found Gallo guilty of misdemeanor driving on a suspended license. Toohey made the ruling outside the jury's presence.
The misdemeanor was separated from the more serious charges, and Toohey issued his ruling based on trial evidence, said Deputy District Attorney Susan Price.
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Prosecutors argued during the trial that Gallo should be convicted of murder because he engaged in behavior he knew could lead to their deaths.
But Gallo's attorney, Jacqueline Goodman, argued that Gallo did not intend to kill anyone and should not be convicted of murder.
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