TOLEDO, Ohio — Two men accused of killing 3-year-old Malachi Barnes were found guilty by a jury on Monday afternoon.
K'veon Giles and Matthew Smith were charged with murder following the 2018 incident that took place on Thanksgiving night.
They were both found guilty on count 1, which was aggravated murder and on count 2, which was murder.
Giles and Smith also were found guilty of counts 3, 4, 5, and 6 - felonious assault. The trial took place in the court of Judge Gary Cook.
Sentencing will be Monday, March 23 at 9 a.m.
Deliberations started Monday morning around 9:40 a.m.
According to police, a car pulled up next to Anthony Barnes' vehicle, which had three children inside, and opened fire on I-75. Barnes' 3-year-old son Malachi was shot in the head.
On Thursday, the court heard from the state's key witness, co-defendant Andre White. White also was charged in the case and pleaded guilty to lesser charges of complicity to involuntary manslaughter and complicity to felonious assault in exchange for his testimony. White is expected to be sentenced this week.
Neither Giles nor Smith took the stand during the trial. The jury began deliberations on Friday.
According to sentencing guidelines, the following sentences could be imposed on Giles and Smith:
Guilty of aggravated murder:
- 20 years to life
- 25 years to life
- 30 to life
- Life without parole
The judge is to select which of those four options fit the crime.
Guilty of murder:
- 15 years to life
Guilty of felonious assault:
- 2-8 years
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