Ersland Found Guilty of First Degree Murder (May 26, 2011) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A jury has convicted an Oklahoma City pharmacist once hailed as a hero after shooting a robbery suspect to death during a 2009 robbery, and recommended life in prison. Jerome Ersland was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Antwun Parker after the boy and another teenager tried to rob his drug store in south Oklahoma City. Defense lawyers said Ersland had a right to protect himself and his workers. Prosecutors said Ersland became an "executioner" when he shot Parker five times in the abdomen after initially knocking Parker over with a shot to the head. A coroner's report said the later shots actually killed the teenager. « back |