Law and Order Gary

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Updated: January 13, 2012 10:40PM

GARY

Jury convicts man of murder, robbery

A Lake Superior Court jury convicted a Gary man of murder, murder in perpetration of a robbery, robbery, aggravated battery and battery in a 2009 assault rifle homicide that left one man dead and another seriously wounded in a drug deal rip-off.

Prince D. Harris, 26, has a Feb. 29 sentencing hearing before Judge Clarence Murray and faces a maximum 65-year sentence on the murder. Jurors deliberated about three hours before returning the verdicts on Thursday.

Evidence presented by deputy prosecutor Aleksandra Dimitrijevic showed that Harris fatally shot Cody Hunt, 25, who was found on the ground behind a car at 10th Avenue and Cleveland Street, Gary. Police were called at about 11 p.m. Dec. 3, 2009, and discovered Hunt, who was wounded in the shoulder, leg and back, and Michael Roberts, who was shot in the buttocks.

Hunt died in surgery the following day after being airlifted from The Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary to University of Chicago Hospitals for treatment.

Harris called Roberts about some high-quality marijuana he had for sale. They agreed to meet at Roberts’ mothers’ house. Harris arrived accompanied by an unknown man. Hunt, who was a passenger in Roberts’ car, waited while Roberts went to get the marijuana. Harris told him it was in the trunk. When he went around back, Prince got out of his car, pointed an AK-47 type weapon at him and demanded money. Roberts told Harris that his money was in the car. Roberts tried to get close enough to Harris to grab the gun, and Harris fired a shot. Roberts then told Hunt to run, that the men were robbing him. The man with Prince took Roberts’ $50 and the chain from his neck.

A car drove by and Harris put down the gun. Roberts ran toward a home and while he was trying to get inside he was hit by gunfire in the left buttocks. His hipbone was shattered.