ST. TAMMANY, La. - A jury has found James Magee guilty on two counts of murder. He was convicted of killing his wife and son in 2007 and attempting to kill his two young daughters.
Magee is facing the death penalty. Sentencing is set to begin Monday morning. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two accounts of attempted first-degree murder
Jurors spent most of Saturday morning listening to St. Tammany crime scene investigator Judy Kovacevich testifying about evidence she found in the Tall Timbers subdivision in Covington, where prosecutors contend Magee used a shotgun to kill his 28-year-old wife Adrianne and five-year-old son Zack and injure his seven- and eight-year-old daughters.
The state rested their case around 6:15 p.m. The defense called no witnesses and the case went to the jury around 7:30 p.m., following closing arguments.
Kovacevich testified she found ammunition in Magee's truck and alcohol and hundreds of prescription pills, mostly pain killers. She said that there was a note on the dashboard, which said, "I just couldn't take it. I loved that girl with all my heart."
Adrianne Magee had taken out a restraining order against her estranged husband.Kovacevich testified she found the restraining order, which was dated the day before murders, lying on the living room floor of James Magee's home.
Donna Wallace, who was in the subdivision the day of the murders, testified she saw Magee in a pickup truck chasing a car driven by Adrianne Magee with her three children inside. "Who is this driving this crazy?" she said. "And I made I eye contact with person?he was continually ramming the car in front of him."
Wallace called 911.
Wallace's friend Kim Bourgeois said on the stand, "We heard a scream that came from the car."
When asked by a prosecutor if it sounded like a man, woman or child she said, "A child."
Later in the day, the jury was shown graphic photos of the fatal injures to Adrianne and Zack received, during which James Magee held head in his hands as several of the jurors wiped away tears.
