POLSON – A Lake County jury has convicted a 24-year-old man in the 2005 death of a St. Ignatius man whose body was found in his burned trailer.
KERR-AM reports the jury deliberated 90 minutes before finding Clifford Oldhorn guilty of deliberate homicide in the July 7, 2005 death of Harold Mitchell Jr.
In closing arguments Friday, defense attorney Ronald Piper argued that Oldhorn’s jailhouse confession that he and three others conspired to rob Mitchell because he was rumored to keep a lot of cash was made up to gain leniency in a burglary case.
Oldhorn testified that it was a coincidence that his made-up confession matched evidence in the case.
Mitchell died of a severed carotid artery. His body and trailer were then set on fire.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 31.
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