Chronology: Porter case through the years

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"If I die for any reason, except in my bed, you make sure justice is done."

That was one of the last comments telephone technician Paul Harvey of Hughson heard from his friend, 85-year-old Frank Craig.

Harvey and 90 other witnesses took the stand during 32 days of testimony in the murder trial of former pastor Howard "Doug" Porter, which began with jury selection May 12 and ended with guilty verdicts Aug. 4.

Gallery: Doug Porter case

After less than a day of deliberations, 12 jurors said Porter, who was known for coaching championship wrestlers at Hughson High School, was guilty of murdering Craig in the second of two truck collisions involving both men.

Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Thomas Zeff on Friday sentenced Porter, 57, to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Here are events from a sensational case involving a country preacher, an elderly man who collected farm equipment and an agricultural museum that never was more than a plan on paper.

THE DREAM

Frank Craig, a lifelong bachelor and World War II veteran, collected antiques and old farm equipment for decades. He inherited $2.5 million from a brother in 1999 and believed that he could build an agricultural museum to display his treasures, including a dozen old tractors and a machine called the Fresno Float, which was used to dig canals around the region.

THE DEAL

Pastor Howard "Doug" Porter agreed to help Craig build his museum. Craig made Hickman Community Church his beneficiary and Porter the executor of his estate. Later, he also gave Porter power of attorney over his personal finances and health care decisions. Porter had the legal right to make decisions involving Craig's assets, but he was supposed to use Craig's money to build the Central Valley Museum of Agriculture.

THE PARTNERSHIP

The board of elders at Hickman Community Church, which included Porter, agreed to use Craig's money to build a multipurpose building that would include exhibit space for Craig's treasures as well as church offices and a new sanctuary for a growing congregation that had to hold Sunday services in a nearby school gymnasium.

THE FIRST RED FLAG

Only a few months after Craig set up a $150,000 fund to seed the Central Valley Museum of Agriculture, church secretary Cathy Bergman got worried because bank statements were missing. When she got duplicates, she found that Porter spent $15,700 on personal purchases. Porter admitted wrongdoing and church elders wrote a letter to Craig, telling him about a mistake in bookkeeping. Porter reimbursed the fund with Craig's money.

THE FUNDRAISER

Craig's money wasn't enough for a $3 million facility, complete with outdoor amphitheater and ball fields, the church envisioned. So Porter hired former newspaper reporter James TenNapel to raise money for the project. More than a year later, Porter gave TenNapel $30,000 from Craig's accounts to help TenNapel buy a home in Hickman. TenNapel never raised any money and later testified that Porter warned him not to mention the money to Craig.

A CRIPPLING WRECK

Craig was a passenger in Porter's Toyota Tundra on March 5, 2002, when it veered off Lake Road and slammed into a tree. Porter was protected by an airbag and walked away. Craig was not wearing a seatbelt and his airbag was turned off. Craig nearly died in the hospital, spent months in a rehabilitation hospital and never walked without assistance again.

CARETAKERS

When Craig returned to his ranch in Hickman, he needed help to bathe, dress and eat. Porter initially hired Martine Escobar, who was taking Bible study classes at the church. Craig's friends complained that Escobar had a drinking problem and left Craig outside for many hours at a time, including one occasion when Craig was severely sunburned. Escobar left the job and Porter hired Richard Peterson, a teenager who tended a tropical fish business on a nearby farm. Peterson told the jury that Craig only received junk mail and was angry that Porter did little work on the museum.