Guilty verdicts were reached late Tuesday afternoon in the trial of three teens accused of beating a Starbucks manager to death at a Center City SEPTA Subway station.
Ameer Best, 18, and Nashir Fisher, 17, were found guilty of third-degree murder while 17-year-old Kinta Stanton was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy in connection to the March 2008 beating death of Sean Conroy on a SEPTA platform below 13th and Market Streets.
A Philadelphia jury began deliberations Monday.
Here is what happened during the trial.
Prosecutors said a group of truant teens including Best, Fisher and Stanton beat 36-year-old Conroy on a dare. Conroy, who died of an asthma attack following the attack at the, was picked at random, according to prosecutors.
“Street cred was more important than human life,” said Prosecutor Jacqueline Coelho. “They left their character on the concourse,” she said regarding the defendants, according to KYW1060.
Rasheem Bell, who pleaded guilty to his role in the attack, cooperated with authorities and testified that all three defendants took part in the attack, according to KYW.
The SEPTA officer who broke up the attack said he heard the suspects laughing as Conroy gasped for air.
But defense lawyers argued that the suspects lacked the malice required to convict them of third-degree murder. Best and Fisher said they never touched Conroy.
Two other teens involved in the attack pleaded guilty in the case and were awaiting sentencing.
