A jury has found Xhevahir Myftari guilty of manslaughter in the stabbing death of his sister-in-law.
The verdict was returned late Friday morning, as jurors were in their third day of deliberations.
Myftari’s trial has heard that he stabbed Julia Vlashi 19 times, with two knives, in August 2012.
The 38-year-old pleaded not criminally responsible to the attack, admitting to the attack but saying he was being guided by hallucinations and voices.
At the time of the incident, Myftari was living with Vlashi and her husband – Myftari’s brother – in Rockwood.
He was upset, court heard, with Vlashi’s desire to see him take more medication for the schizophrenic disorder he had been diagnosed with several years earlier.
Jurors twice paused their deliberations to ask a question of the presiding judge.
Thursday afternoon, they asked to review conflicting testimony from two forensic psychiatrists.
Later in the day, they questioned whether they should be taking into account Myftari’s state of mind after Vlashi’s death – a period of time during which Myftari left the home in Vlashi’s car, and used her bank card to withdraw money.
They were instructed to focus on what was going through his head at the time of the stabbing.
Myftari was charged with second-degree murder; however jurors were also given the option to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Rudina Vlashi, Julia’s sister, said outside the courthouse that she was disappointed in the verdict.
“I was expecting second-degree murder,” she said.
“My sister was stabbed 19 times. He … meant to kill her.”
The case will return to court in May, when lawyers will make their suggestions of an appropriate sentence.
The maximum penalty for manslaughter is life imprisonment.
