A jury has reached a verdict in the fourth murder trial of a former Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officer.
After more than five hours of deliberation, the jury found Shannon Kepler guilty of manslaughter in the 2014 killing of Jeremy Lake, his daughter's boyfriend, and recommended 15 years in prison.
>> Watch reaction from the courtroom here
Kepler is accused of killing Lake in 2014 while off duty.
Though he was charged with first-degree murder, the jury also considered the lesser charge of manslaughter in the heat of passion.
Three previous trials ended in mistrial.
Some members of Lake's extended family traveled over an hour to be at the trial.
While the district attorney said evidence doesn't show that Kepler needed to use deadly force to defend himself, the defense claimed the state's evidence did not show that Kepler went to Lake's home with bad intentions.
About the Author
