Man Convicted in 1991 Arizona Monk Massacre

After 3rd trial, Doody guilty of 9 murders
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 24, 2014 1:56 AM CST
Man Convicted in 1991 Arizona Monk Massacre
Johnathan Doody sits impassively as jurors find him guilty on all counts in Maricopa County Superior Court yesterday.   (AP Photo/The Arizona Republic,Charlie Leight)

It was one of Arizona's most notorious murder cases: the executions of nine people, including six monks, at a suburban Phoenix Buddhist temple. Two men were imprisoned for life in the 1991 killing but in 2011, an appeals court overturned the conviction of Johnathan Doody, ruling that investigators improperly obtained his confession. After two more trials, the first of which ended in a mistrial, the victims' families finally got what they had hoped for yesterday when Doody was once again convicted of nine counts of first-degree murder and 11 armed robbery and burglary charges.

Doody, who will face multiple life sentences when he is sentenced next month, was 17 when he was accused of participating in the slayings at the Wat Promkunaram temple. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence. The accomplice serving life in prison told jurors how the crime was Doody's idea, aimed at stealing about $2,600 cash and valuables from the monks. He says he tried to persuade him not to kill the victims after the robbery, but Doody was determined to leave behind no witnesses. (More massacre stories.)

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