Jury convicts St. Marks of attempted deliberate homicide

A jury in Havre in District Court found 22-year-old Nevada St. Marks guilty this afternoon of attempted deliberate homicide.

The jury began deliberating after 8:30 a.m. this morning and reached a decision shortly before noon.

Hill County Attorney Jessica Cole-Hodgkinson and attorney for St.Marks Steven Scott argued for three days, beginning Tuesday, on whether St. Marks was guilty of attempted deliberate homicide, or the alternative, assault with a weapon, or neither.

Cole-Hodgkinson called six witnesses to the stand during the trial, three of them people who were in the area when St. Marks stabbed Cordell WIlson, including Wilson. Scott called St. Marks to testify.

Wilson testified Wednesday that St. Marks stabbed him early Sept. 18 after he told St. Marks it wasn't cool for him to have sex with an underage girl, especially since he had so much going for him. Before leaving - he said he felt uncomfortable - St. Marks asked him to take some shots of whiskey, Wilson said, adding that's when St. Marks stabbed him.

In his testimony Thursday, St. Marks said he stabbed Wilson in self-defense after he kept attacking him in what started as an argument about St. Marks' and his deceased grandfather's' roofing capabilities.

Sentencing is scheduled July 28 at 10 a.m.

Look for a full story Tuesday at Havre Daily.