Eric Hainstock: GUILTY

It didn't take long for the jury to decide Eric Hainstock's fate.

From the Associated Press:

A jury on Thursday found Eric Hainstock guilty in the shooting death of his principal as homecoming was about to begin last fall.

Jurors deliberated nearly 6½ hours Thursday in the case, before deciding on the first-degree intentional homicide charge. Sauk County Circuit Judge Patrick Taggart gave jurors the option of considering lesser charges of first- or second-degree reckless homicide.

Hainstock, 16, could face up to life in prison at his sentencing, which was scheduled for Friday morning.

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Eric Hainstock, the 16-year-old who shot his principal at Weston School in Cazenovia last fall, has been found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide for killing his school's principal.

The jury of eight women, four men took about six hours to convict Hainstock, who can now only hope that he is allowed the possibility of parole when his automatic life prison sentence is handed down.

He had been just 15 and a high-school freshman last Sept. 29 when, after weeks of confrontations with teachers and his principal over his conduct, he took a 20-gauge shotgun and a .22-caliber revolver to school.

...Hainstock had testified Wednesday the revolver fired accidentally in their struggle, but prosecutors said the five shots - three of which hit Klang, in his abdomen, leg and head - were a deliberate act.

Defense attorneys had conceded he killed Klang, but hoped to get him a lesser sentence with a first- or second-degree reckless homicide conviction with arguments he hadn't planned to kill the principal.

Earlier today, Brendan Dassey was sentenced to life in prison for his part in the murder of Teresa Halbach. In 2048, Dassey can apply for parole.

Less than twelve hours after Dassey learned his fate, Eric Hainstock was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide in the murder of John Klang.

He doesn't know the specifics of his sentence yet, but he knows that his conviction means that he has received an automatic life sentence.

Here's more, from The Rhinelander Daily News:

Hainstock's attorneys rubbed his back before he was led away.

Tears streamed down the face of Hainstock's father, Shawn, after the verdicts were read. He and Hainstock's attorneys left without speaking to reporters.

Klang's widow, Sue, and new Weston Principal Melissa Nigh cried as the verdict was read. They embraced as the courtroom cleared out.

Sue Klang said she was satisfied with the verdict, but it didn't matter what charge he was convicted on, so long as he was convicted. Hainstock has problems and could pose a threat to the public, she said, adding it's scary anyone would pick up guns to solve their problems.

...[Sauk County District Attorney Patricia] Barrett said a key piece of evidence was the discovery of five fired cartridges in the revolver, which shows Hainstock lied about the shooting. The boy told police hours after the shooting he fired at Klang only three times, after the principal jumped him from behind and put him in a bear hug.

Barrett also told jurors during her closing arguments the angles of the shots suggest Klang was shot at a distance, negating Hainstock's story that he shot Klang in the fight.

She pointed out, too, that Hainstock told detectives he fired all three times on purpose, but testified in his own defense Wednesday that he fired one shot by accident, one shot on purpose and wasn't sure about the third shot.

She asked the jurors to set aside Hainstock's problems, saying he uses them as an excuse.

Hainstock attorney Jon Helland countered jurors could not ignore Hainstock's past because it played into the shooting.

"You want a good explanation why he did this? You're not going to get one. He's a kid," Helland said.

...If he intended to shoot anyone, Helland said, he would have walked into school with guns blazing.

I'm surprised to hear that there were five shots fired. All along, it was said that there were three. That information had to have an impact on the jurors.

The fact that he shot from a distance also shoots holes in Hainstock's story, that the bear hug from Klang caused the gun to go off accidentally.

I found Shawn Hainstock's reaction interesting.

Eric Hainstock's father cried when he heard the verdict?

I thought this man was heartless and tortured his son.

Did he care about Eric or not?

Did the defense purposely push the abusive father angle? Was that somewhat of a distortion?

This comment from Helland is so lame: "You want a good explanation why he did this? You're not going to get one. He's a kid."

I think there's a good explanation. Eric Hainstock brought guns to school because he wanted to kill someone and he did.
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Read some of the comments from Free Eric Hainstock!

"ERIC, u didn't do the right thing but we are still proud of you for expressign your ownself against these animals.."

Sick.