JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After nearly six hours of deliberation, a jury convicted a 23-year-old Jacksonville man of murdering his infant son.
Anthony Oyibo was found guilty of the first-degree murder of 4-month-old Jacob Oyibo.
Recommended Videos
During the two-week trial, prosecutors told the jury that Oyibo was angry on May 6, 2003, when he woke up and found nothing to eat in his apartment. They said when Oyibo's son and his girlfriend's young child would not stop crying, he "lost it" and killed the infant.
According to authorities, Oyibo had a dispute that day with his girlfriend, Kristi Gergely, in their Jacksonville apartment.
After the argument, Oyibo fled Jacksonville, kidnapping Deven Marshall, 5, and triggering Duval County's first Amber Alert.
The boy was dropped off with relatives in Vero Beach several hours later.
One-year-old Anaya was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center with serious injuries, police said. Gergely, the mother of all three children, received minor injuries.
In the courtroom, Gergely testified that Oyibo wrapped plastic bags around Jacob and Anaya's heads, tightening them around their necks.
Gergely cried as prosecutors had her demonstrate how she said Oyibo put a cord around her own neck.
"He told me to get on my knees, and said he was going to put me to sleep. He would try to put the cord around my neck," Gergely said.
Gergely said she escaped and called 911, but when officers arrived Jacob was dead, Anaya was seriously injured and Deven was missing.
Oyibo was captured in an abandoned house nearby one day later, but police said he fired a flare gun in his mouth just as police closed in on him -- requiring hospitalization.
In addition to the first-degree murder conviction, the jury also found Oyibo guilty of the five other charges against him, including aggravated child abuse, kidnapping, armed burglary, attempted armed robbery, and armed carjacking.
Oyibo could face the death penalty for murdering his son.
The sentencing hearing in this case has been scheduled for April 5.
Previous Stories:
- March 23, 2006: Jury Hears Closing Arguments In Oyibo Trial
- March 17, 2006: Mother Of Slain 4-Month-Old Victim Testifies Accused Killer
- March 16, 2006: Jury Told Crying, Hungry Children Prompted Killing
- March 13, 2006: Jury Being Selected In Trial Of Man Accused Of Killing Baby
- October 2, 2003: Grand Jury Indicts Oyibo For First-Degree Murder, Other Crimes
- June 19, 2003: Murder Suspect Ordered To Provide Blood, Hair Samples
- May 20, 2003: High-Profile Attorney Appointed To Defend Oyibo
- May 19, 2003: Murder Suspect Quiet, Prosecutor Protests At Hearing
- May 10, 2003: Kidnapping, Murder Suspect In Fair Condition With Burns
- May 9, 2003: Man Accused Of Kidnapping Boy, Killing Baby Captured
- May 7, 2003: Boy Returned; Manhunt On For Alleged Abductor