Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts | Video

Retha Colclasure | 6/28/2012

Two Mercer County men face up to life in prison without the possibIlity of parole after a jury convicted them of two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Richard Whitman and Cody Borner went on trial this week.Whitman and Borner took loaded guns into a Beulah apartment to steal drugs, money, or electronics. But then a shooting happened, leaving Michael Padilla dead, and his brother, Timothy Padilla, injured.

Two defendants, two charges each and four times, the same verdict was read.

"We the jury duly empaneled and sworn to try the above entitled action do make the following findings regarding the defendant, Cody Borner. Count one, conspiracy to commit murder, guilty," said Judge Bruce Romanick.

Cody Borner appeared shaken by the verdict. His co-conspirator, Richard Whitman, did not have a visible reaction.

"We the jury duly empaneled and sworn to try the above entitled action do make the following findings regarding the defendant, Richard Whitman. Count two, conspiracy to commit murder, guilty," Romanick said.

Prosecutors say they were pleased with the verdict, and satisfied the jury made the right decision.

"There are no winners in this case. This senseless and tragic event devastated not only the Padilla family but our small county as well. I hope today that the Padilla family will be able to start picking up the pieces, and our county as well," said Mercer County State`s Attorney Jessica Binder.

Earlier in the day, jurors had asked if they had to return the same verdict on both defendants. In the end, prosecutors say they think a compelling point for the jurors was that the shooting happened inside the Padilla`s home.

"Nobody can imagine something like that happening. I think that was probably a very compelling point," Binder said.

Still, she says, the verdict doesn`t really provide relief for the victim`s family.

"I don`t think you`re going to get relief. I think they`re pleased to know that justice was served, but at the end of the day there can be no happy feeling with this kind of a case."

She says the community will eventually go back to normal after being shaken by the shooting...but says normal won`t be what it used to.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered before the two men are sentenced. Sentencing could be two or three months away.

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