Jacksonville jury finds Taurice Brown guilty in stray bullet killing

41-year-old mother of 3 shot, killed while sitting in traffic

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Duval County jury has convicted Taurice Brown in the shooting death of a mother of three as she sat in traffic two years ago.

Brown, 24, was found guilty Thursday night on first-degree murder and attempted murder and faces life in prison without parole. 

The jury found that Brown fired the shot that hit 41-year-old Analiza Gobaton in the head as she sat in traffic on Blanding Boulevard on a Friday morning in October 2010.

She was heading to her three children's school for an award ceremony.

Prosecutors say Brown fired his gun in a shootout during a drug deal.

On Thursday, prosecutors and defense attorneys prosecution made their final arguments to the jury.

Images from murder trial

Prosecutors argued that Brown fired the shot, trying to kill another drug dealer, and in turn killed Gobaton. The defense said there are too many doubts that the man who pulled the trigger was Brown.

The state began its closing arguments playing to the emotional side of the story, highlighting the differences between the worlds of Gobaton and Brown.

Attorneys reminded the jury Gobaton was a mother on her way to her children's school to watch them receive awards for making honor roll. They painted the defendant as a drug dealer who opened fire that day trying to kill another drug dealer.

Prosecutors recapped the physical evidence and witness testimony, including that of Vincent Mariano, the man who was buying drugs, and from Anthony Wiggins, the other drug dealer investigators say was involved in the shootout.

Both testified Brown fired multiple shots.

But the defense questioned the character of those witnesses, both convicted felons facing other charges. The defense also reminded the jury that other witnesses described seeing a dark-skinned African-American man with hair fire shots, which attorneys say does not match Brown's description.

Brown will be sentenced November 15.