THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 1995 TAG: 9506210580
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
A jury on Tuesday convicted Maurice Boyd of capital murder in the slaying of Newport News police officer Larry Bland during a traffic stop.
The Newport News Circuit Court jury took less than three hours to convict Boyd on the murder charge and a charge of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Boyd, 30, showed no emotion as the jury's decision was announced. He stared straight ahead, turning only once to look at the jury.
The jury will begin hearing testimony today in the sentencing phase of the trial. The jury must decide between recommending life in prison or the death penalty.
Bland, 48, was shot three times in the head May 13 as he sat in his police car.
Boyd's lawyers argued that he never planned to kill Bland, and that he was incapable of premeditated murder because he was high on crack cocaine, marijuana and alcohol at the time of the shooting.
``If Maurice Boyd was using logical, rational thinking and planning on killing a police officer,'' Robert Lawrence asked the jury, ``would a logical person block his own escape route?''
Lawrence was referring to the fact that when Boyd was pulled over by Bland, Boyd pulled into a driveway instead of parking on the street. His car was then blocked by Bland's cruiser.
But Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn, in his closing arguments, said Bland was both ``logical and rational'' the night of the killing.
``He had to take the gun out, aim it, pull the trigger, fire, release and pull the trigger again. Three times,'' Gwynn said. ``That was logical, rational thinking.''
Carol Schindler, Larry Bland's fiancee, said after the verdict that she wants the jury to recommend a death sentence. Schindler, also a police officer, was the first officer to arrive at the scene of the shooting.
``I just want to see him die,'' Schindler said, crying in front of the courthouse.
``That's all I want. I want to see him die.''
KEYWORDS: MURDER SHOOTING TRIAL VERDICT by CNB