NATION IN BRIEF : NEW YORK : Man Convicted in Murder at Bellevue
A New York state jury found a former mental patient guilty in the murder and rape of a pregnant doctor at Bellevue Hospital, rejecting the man’s insanity defense. The guilty verdict, reached after two hours of deliberation, means that Steven Smith, 23, faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 21. Smith admitted robbing Dr. Kathryn Hinnant, 33, in her office on Jan. 7 but blamed her rape and murder on a man named “John.” Authorities later determined that “John” did not exist. Smith was convicted of intentional murder, felony murder, rape, sodomy and robbery.
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