Blayne William Brooks Convicted of Murdering Domanic Thrasher

After less than an hour of deliberation, the jury in the Domanic Thrasher murder case returned with a guilty verdict against Blayne William Brooks.

Brooks was one of three people charged in the murder of Thrasher on June 2nd, 2015 in what is believed to be a drug deal gone bad. Brooks' attorney, Greg Merkle, argued for his client's innocence in his closing statements, pointing out that no DNA, footprint, or fingerprint evidence placed Brooks at the scene of the murder, that no murder weapon was discovered, and those who testified against Brooks were not credible as they had reason to lie in order to avoid prosecution themselves.

Wichita County Assistant District Attorney John Gillespie argued that they had provided enough evidence to cast out reasonable doubt, such as the testimony of Whitney Mercedes O'Brien, who is also charged in the murder, who testified about a cover-up attempt that matched with the physical evidence, and that Brooks asked his then-girlfriend to lie and claim he was with her the whole day of the murder.

According to Times Record News, being found guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity – murder, Brooks could be facing life in prison or a sentence of 15 to 99 years. The sentencing process is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning.