Miguel Ayala: GUILTY

Miguel A. Ayala was convicted in the murder of Lodewikus "Vic" Milford.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

With a literal pile of evidence stacked before it, a Milwaukee jury deliberated a little more than three hours Monday before convicting Miguel Ayala of robbing then killing Miller Brewing Co. executive Lodewikus "Vic" Milford.

The teetering stack was created during closing arguments by Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams, who cobbled it together in an apparent fury that seemed to mesmerize not only jurors but the defendant himself.

Williams slammed one indicting piece of evidence on top of another until the state's case against Ayala, 21, threatened to topple from the table and onto Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner's courtroom floor.

...Ayala is convicted of being a party to a crime of first-degree intentional homicide while armed and being a party to a crime of armed robbery.

He faces life in prison plus 125 years when he sentenced July 23.

The guilty verdict had to please Milford's friends, but there's not much solace in it. It can only give a limited amount of comfort.

It doesn't undo the damage. It doesn't take away the loss or alleviate the trauma for the robbery victims.

But it's good Ayala is going to prison. Justice is good.