Man convicted of killing step-grandfather

Posted in Related Deaths

2-24-2009 Pennsylvania:

An Allegheny County jury convicted a Forward man of first-degree murder this afternoon in the killing of his step-grandfather.

Timothy Large Jr., 31, was acquitted of burglary but also convicted of theft, receiving stolen property, access device fraud and abuse of a corpse.

Mr. Large, who was expressionless as the verdict was read, will be sentenced to a mandatory term of life in prison May 27.

This morning, defense attorney Veronica Brestensky, of the Office of Conflict Counsel, asked jurors to convict Mr. Large of voluntary manslaughter -- and not a more serious murder charge -- because he killed 71-year-old Vernon Hayden Sr. in a fit of passion.

Mr. Large testified that he had been sexually abused by Mr. Hayden as a child, and he accused Mr. Hayden of abusing his grandmother and sister as well. When Mr. Large went to Mr. Hayden's Elizabeth Township home the night of Dec. 7, 2007, he testified, Mr. Hayden made a sexual advance and slapped Mr. Large when he turned him down.

"It's not self-defense, but at that particular time, everything welled up and he lost control," Ms. Brestensky said.

In her closing argument, Assistant District Attorney Julie Capone argued for first-degree murder, saying that Mr. Large broke into Mr. Hayden's home with the intention of stealing his truck. When Mr. Hayden caught him, she said, Mr. Large decided to kill him.

Mr. Hayden's corpse was found more than a month later in Bedford County, after Mr. Large finally revealed its location. Mr. Hayden had been struck twice with a hammer and shot twice with a rifle.

Mr. Large never had mentioned sexual abuse in interviews with police, Ms. Capone said.

"I find it offensive and insulting," she said. "He's murdered him in cold blood and now he's going to say he's a molester on top of everything else. . . . He's a liar." ..News Source.. by Daniel Malloy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette