San Diego- A jury yesterday convicted Gerald Nash of first-degree murder in the death of a homeless friend whose body parts were found scattered around San Diego County.
Nash, 62, was found guilty of murder with the use of a firearm in the February 2007 death of Allen Burton Hawes. He faces a sentence of 50 years to life in prison at a hearing scheduled for May 6.
Outside the courtroom after the verdict was reached, Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler said: “This was Mr. Nash’s dream come true. He always wanted to kill someone; now he will have to pay for that.”
Jurors began deliberating at 8:30 a.m. yesterday, and their verdict was read at 12:15 p.m.
“There’s so much evidence we went through. We were very thorough,” said Darren Parker, a juror. He said blood, DNA and firearms evidence helped to seal the verdict for the jury.
“There’s so much that pointed directly at him and no one else,” Parker said of Nash.
Parker described Nash’s demeanor during the trial as “arrogant” and said Nash appeared to have fallen asleep in the courtroom once.
“I don’t think he was very credible on the stand when he spoke,” Parker said.
Nash’s defense attorney, Deputy Public Defender Megan Marcotte, said yesterday that her client handled the verdict professionally and respectfully.
Nash and Hawes met at an adult video store on Palm Avenue where Nash worked.
Nash testified during the two-week trial that he did not kill Hawes, and that he had instead befriended him and given him food, money and places to store some of his belongings.
Homicide investigators arrested Nash in March 2007 after they received a tip. In searches of Nash’s home, the video store and several vehicles Nash owned, authorities confiscated numerous items, including a saw and gloves that had Hawes’ DNA on them.
On Feb. 26, 2007, two plumbers found a torso, later determined to be that of Hawes, on a riverbank along Hollister Street near Palm Avenue in Palm City.
A day later, a tow truck driver found a head in a trash bag along Interstate 5 near 28th Street in Barrio Logan. A few hours later, a Caltrans worker found a left hand on a ramp from southbound state Route 163 to Interstate 5.
In April, Hawes’ legs were found in a brushy area off Harbison Canyon Road north of Dehesa Road.