Kalebu Guilty on All Counts

The jury just found Isaiah Kalebu guilty of every single charge that King County prosecutors levied against him in the South Park rapes and murder.

Guilty of aggravated, premeditated murder in the first degree (for the killing of Teresa Butz). Guilty of felony murder (for the killing of Teresa Butz). Guilty of attempted premeditated murder (for the attempted murder of Butz's partner). Guilty of rape in the first degree (for the rape of Butz's partner). Guilty of burglary in the first degree (for crawling through an open window in the couple's bathroom in the early morning hours of July 19, 2009 as he prepared to attack them).

All of these crimes, the jury found, were committed with a deadly weapon and with sexual motivation or deliberate cruelty.

The survivor of the attacks was in the courtroom as the verdict was read, and cried. So did many of the jurors and much of the crowd that had gathered. Judge Michael Hayden told the jury:

It’s been a long road together. I will be the first to say, the testimony in this case was emotionally wrenching... I saw tears. I saw a lot of anguish. But you made it through the process and I want to thank you. Deeply. Thank you for having gone through it with us when most folks, when presented with the opportunity to do this, would have said, ‘I can’t do it.’

He offered them certificates of jury service, which he acknowledged, to laughs from them and the rest of the room, “don’t mean much.” He offered them counseling, which they later declined through the bailiff. They also declined, through the bailiff, the opportunity to talk with members of the media. Their job was done. They just wanted to go home.

As for Kalebu's sentence: It will officially come later, but it's basically known right now. In Washington State, a conviction for first degree premeditated murder comes with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.