A Lengthy Seaside man accused of burying one other man in his yard, after he overdosed in his home in 2017, was convicted of drug costs by a jury this week.
Scott Leo, 55, initially was going through a homicide cost after which an involuntary manslaughter cost in relation to the demise of Zachary Kennedy, 31, who was lacking for six months till his physique was present in Leo’s yard. The homicide cost was dismissed twice after which the involuntary manslaughter cost was dismissed since Leo was taken into custody in August 2020.
A decide in December dominated that prosecutors failed to supply sufficient proof to indicate that Leo was accountable for Kennedy’s demise.
Leo was convicted of three felony drug-related costs involving providing or furnishing methamphetamine and GHB, also called the date rape drug, on Tuesday, March 1, the Los Angeles County District Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned. He faces as much as seven years in jail and was scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, District Lawyer spokesman Ricardo Santiago mentioned.
Leo was in custody after he was convicted, mentioned Matthew Kaestner, Leo’s legal professional.
Kennedy was final seen at Leo’s home on Oct. 22, 2017, after attending a celebration at Leo’s home within the 500 block of East Eighth Road, Kennedy’s father mentioned earlier. Police, household and mates looked for Kennedy till police served a search warrant on the residence and located his physique within the facet yard.
Kennedy was discovered positioned in a bin, together with his toes severed, mentioned Scott Lasch in December, who has since retired as a Lengthy Seaside police detective.
Kennedy and Leo each had used methamphetamine and GHB the evening of his demise, in keeping with earlier testimony.
Prosecutor Simone Shay earlier argued that Leo knew Kennedy was dying and was obligated to get him assist, with proof displaying textual content messages Leo despatched to a pal that included images of Kennedy in Leo’s bathtub affected by the overdose. The messages included that Kennedy had blue lips, was bleeding from the mouth and had a low pulse, in keeping with the testimony.
Kaestner on Thursday mentioned that there was no proof that Leo provided Kennedy with the medicine that led to his demise. However there have been textual content messages between Leo and one other particular person discussing methamphetamine and GHB that the prosecution introduced into the six-day jury trial, he mentioned.
“I feel the jury was sad with how the corpse was handled and the jury was impacted by the emotional side of the case,” Kaester mentioned. “Leo selfishly responded to somebody dying in his dwelling, attempting to cover the physique unsuccessfully.”