Donovan Richardson trial: Guilty verdict in Fuquay-Varina double homicide

Richardson is one of three men accused in the fatal shooting of Arthur Lee Brown, 78, and David Eugene McKoy, 66, on July 19, 2014 at a home on Howard Road. Investigators have said the killing likely stemmed from a robbery of the two victims. Jurors found Richardson guilty on all counts, which included two charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and burglary.

Gregory Crawford pleaded guilty in May 2016 to charges of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and burglary in connection with the slayings. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Kevin Britt was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and burglary. He has not been sentenced yet, but he did plead guilty to being an accessory to murder. He also testified against Richardson during his trial.

Jurors had three options when weighing Richardson's fate: they could have find him guilty of first-degree or second-degree murder or they could have found him not guilty. Since they voted to convict him of first-degree murder, they must now decide whether he should be sentenced him to death.

The trial adjourned until Monday, which is when the jury will decide if he should be sentenced to death or spend the rest of his life in prison.

The jury deciding Richardson's fate had only been deliberating the case for just an hour on Tuesday before taking a break to accommodate a winter weather system that dropped up to a foot of snow on the Triangle. Jurors returned Friday at 11 a.m. to continue their deliberations.

Wake County jurors have not imposed the death penalty on any defendants since 2007, and any decision on a death penalty verdict would require a unanimous decision by all 12 jurors hearing the case.

The double murder shocked residents in the neighborhood where Brown and McKoy shared a home.

Their bodies were found by a relative who was checking on them. The home's front glass sliding door was open with the blinds in disarray, and authorities said the men had been robbed.