Jury finds Kerr guilty of aggravated murder

By Joe Gorman | May 8, 2015 at 12:02a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

A jury deciding an aggravated-murder verdict in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court took more time to find Paul Kerr guilty Thursday than they did in hearing the case.

Jurors spent all day Thursday deliberating the fate of Kerr, 48, who was charged with aggravated murder in the death of Lenzie Morgan, 49, last year, before returning their verdict at 5 p.m.

Sentencing will take place at 9 a.m. Monday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum.

The jury was seated Monday and heard testimony in the afternoon and most of the day Tuesday before hearing closing arguments Wednesday morning, then getting the case in the late morning.

Jurors informed Judge Krichbaum after about four hours of deliberations Wednesday that they were deadlocked, but Judge Krichbaum sent them back to deliberate to see if they could break the deadlock.

Jurors were dismissed about 6 p.m. Wednesday then returned at 8:30 a.m. Thursday to resume deliberations.

Kerr was accused of shooting Morgan as the two were arguing over Morgan’s wife, Diva, on Sept. 30 in Morgan’s home in the 2200 block of Shady Run Road. Morgan died Oct. 15.

Diva Morgan testified during the trial, but defense attorneys tried to put the blame for the shooting on her, and also pointed out that police never recovered a murder weapon.

Prosecutors said Kerr called for a ride just before Lenzie Morgan was shot and a gun that Kerr’s mother had, similar to the one they believed killed Lenzie Morgan, has been missing.

Kerr showed no emotion as the verdict was read. Members of Morgan’s family wiped tears as the verdict was read.