Mich. valedictorian convicted of killing mentally ill mom - 13abc.com Toledo (OH) News, Weather and Sports

Mich. valedictorian convicted of killing mentally ill mom

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PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) - A jury has found a 22-year-old man guilty of second-degree murder for beating and stabbing his 51-year-old mentally ill mother to death at their suburban Detroit home.

The jury announced its verdict Tuesday afternoon in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac.

Jeffrey Pyne was charged with first-degree murder in last year's killing of Ruth Pyne at their home in Highland Township. The jury instead found him guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

Ruth Pyne was found dead May 27, 2011, inside the garage of the home, about 30 miles northwest of Detroit.

Prosecutors say Jeffrey Pyne killed his mother because he was tired of dealing with her mental illness and abuse. Defense lawyer James Champion says a stranger or a jilted lover likely killed her.

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