May 8, 2008 4:37 pm US/Eastern
Local Man Found Guilty In 12-Year-Old's Murder
A jury has found Jeffrey Martin guilty of first-degree murder charges plus rape
WAYNESBURG (KDKA) ―
The penalty phase in the trial of a Fayette County man convicted in the murder and sexual assault of a Greene County girl in 2006 will continue tomorrow.
Earlier today, a jury found Jeffrey Martin, 50, guilty of several charges including first-degree murder, aggravated assault, rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, and abuse of a corpse, in the June 2006 death of Gabrielle Bechen, of Greene County.
Authorities found Bechen's body buried on a Waynesburg horse farm five days after she went missing.
Earlier this week, Martin, a farmhand, testified that he is innocent, despite a confession he gave to police right after Bechen's body was found.
Both the prosecution and defense rested their cases on Tuesday and the jury began deliberations on Wednesday.
The jury came back with the guilty verdict after six hours of deliberations.
KDKA's Harold Hayes reports from court that Martin said, "Go get it from somebody else," when he was asked for comment after the verdict was read.
Martin could now face the death penalty or life in prison.
So far in the penalty phase, the cousin of the victim has taken the stand. She recalled by the day Bechen went missing and the moment when investigators told the girl's parents she had been found dead.
On Friday, a psychologist will take the stand.
Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.
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