Jury convicts man of murder in death of witness

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A jury has convicted a Louisville man of murder for his part in the fatal shooting of a woman who was supposed to be a witness against his brother.

Troya Sheckles was gunned down in a Louisville park in 2009 in what prosecutors called a public "execution."

Media report jurors reached the verdict Thursday for DeJuan Hammond after a two-week trial. The sentencing phase of the trial began Friday.

Hammond was accused of hiring Steven Pettway to kill Sheckles, a witness in a murder trial against Hammond’s brother, Lloyd. Pettway was convicted of murder in a separate trial and sentenced to 55 years in prison.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Elizabeth Jones Brown said she was "thrilled to get justice for Troya."

Defense attorneys decline to comment until after sentencing.

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