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Sunday, May 19, 2013 | 5:57 p.m.

Posted: 12:48 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013

Guilty verdict in 2009 East Oakland street corner murder

KTVU and Wires

OAKLAND, Calif. —

An Oakland man with a lengthy criminal record was convicted of second-degree murder Tuesday for fatally shooting another man outside a corner market in East Oakland in broad daylight in July 2009.

Laron Logwood, 36, admitted during his lengthy trial in Alameda County Superior Court that he killed Edwin "Mikey" Grady, 25, of Oakland, outside the Arrwa One Stop Market at the corner of 86th and Bancroft avenues just before 2 p.m. on July 16, 2009, but said he did so in self-defense because he thought Grady had a gun and would shoot him and his friends.

Police officers who responded to the shooting didn't find any evidence at the scene that Grady had a gun, but Logwood's lawyer, William DuBois, alleged that Grady's friends removed his gun before police arrived.

The shooting was captured by the store's surveillance camera and the footage was shown to jurors.

The video shows Logwood firing a single shot into Grady's chest. Grady then ran around the corner, collapsed and died a short time later.

Prosecutor Tim Wellman told jurors during the trial that Logwood should be found guilty of first-degree murder, saying "there was no need, real or perceived, for Mikey to be shot."

DuBois said Logwood had come to the store after a female cousin told him that a man -- not Grady -- had smashed her face and that she needed his help.

Wellman said he believes the reason that Logwood killed Grady is that Logwood belongs to a gang called the Upper High Street Boys and that "Mikey had disrespected him in front of his family and friends" by saying something to Logwood when they were in front of the corner market.

If Logwood hadn't acted, he would have appeared weak and lost respect, Wellman said.

Jurors, who deliberated for parts of four days, also found Logwood guilty of using a firearm to cause death.

Logwood, who has three prior felony convictions, including one for a high-speed chase, faces a state prison term of up to 42 years to life when he is sentenced by Judge Morris Jacobson.

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