A jury in Washington state has convicted a man of drowning his 3-year-old stepdaughter so that he could collect on a $200,000 life insurance policy.
Joel Zellner, 40, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Ashley McLellan who died after being found in the family pool.
Prosecutors told the jury that Zellner had a history of preying on single mothers he dated so that he could get potential insurance payoffs on their children. Other children he was around suffered broken bones, burns and near-drownings, the jury was told.
-- Lance Murray
Joel Zellner, 40, was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Ashley McLellan who died after being found in the family pool.
Prosecutors told the jury that Zellner had a history of preying on single mothers he dated so that he could get potential insurance payoffs on their children. Other children he was around suffered broken bones, burns and near-drownings, the jury was told.
-- Lance Murray
Why was this second degree. He clearly planed this which makes it a premeditative crime, which is a first class homicide.
Posted by: Bob | April 30, 2010 at 11:59 AM