Jury finds ex-preacher Doug Porter guilty of murder

Jurors convicts him on all counts; Sentencing set for Sept. 2

By SUSAN HERENDEEN
sherendeen@modbee.com

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A jury today found former country preacher Howard "Doug" Porter guilty of murder in the death of Frank Craig. The jury also found him guilty of attempted murder, theft from an elder by a caretaker and elder abuse causing death.

The verdicts were read just after 3 p.m. in a subdued courtroom filled with attorneys and court staff.

Most of Porter's family and friends arrived after the the news was out, and they hugged and cried in the hallway outside the courtroom.

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Past coverage: The Doug Porter case
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The jury deliberated less than a full day, having met briefly Friday and again today.

Jurors declined to give their names, but a few interviewed told a reporter that they found the evidence against Porter overwhelming.

"When Porter got on the stand, that was a mistake, I would say, for the defense," a female juror said.

In addition to the first-degree murder conviction, the jurors found two special circumstances: murder for financial gain and murder to silence a witness to theft.

The conviction with the special circumstances carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole. Porter was scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 2.

Defense attorney Kirk McAllister accepted the loss, but said an appeal is possible.

"This is a long trial," he said. "It was a hard-working jury. We hoped that they would see the evidence in a different light, but we respect their judgment and their service."

Deputy District Attorney John R. Mayne seemed a bit surprised by the quick verdict, adding that he is glad the jury saw through Porter�s defense.

"It was his own actions that put him here," Mayne said.

Craig, a rancher, inherited $2.5 million from a brother and dreamed of using the money to build a museum that would showcase farm equipment he'd collected over decades. Craig made Porter executor of his estate, leaving his fortune to the Hickman Community Church, at which Porter was the minister.

Authorities alleged that Porter drained at least $1.1 million from Craig's accounts without making any progress on the museum.

Porter was accused of killing Craig to cover his tracks by staging a March 5, 2002, auto wreck that crippled Craig and an April 22, 2004, wreck that killed Craig. Porter was at the wheel and Craig was a passenger in both incidents. Porter has been held without bail since his arrest Nov. 27, 2006.