A jury has convicted Dustin Hilt of killing his ex-girlfriend, Keighley Ann Alyea.
The jury returned the verdict on Wednesday, convicting Hilt of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery.
Hilt, 18, was the first of three men to be tried in the murder of 18-year-old Alyea. Also awaiting trial are Gerald
Calbeck, 18, and Joseph Mattox, 22.
Alyea disappeared in the early hours of September 30, 2009. Her body was
October 5 in a farm field in Cass County, Missouri.
Hilt,
Mattox and Calbeck allegedly beat Alyea, who begged for her life, so
severely that they thought she was dead. Then they allegedly stuffed her
body in the trunk of a car and drove to
rural Cass County to dump her body. But Alyea
started hitting the
trunk and calling for help.
stopped and asked her if she'd tell on them. She promised not to and
begged them to take her to a hospital. Alyea was stabbed about 30 times.
The Kansas City Star reports that Alyea confronted Hilt about sleeping
with her stepsister. She was dead hours later. Hilt's defense attorney,
Paul Cramm, claimed Hilt witnessed Alyea's killing but didn't
participate. Cramm reportedly claimed that Hilt screamed at Mattox and
Calbeck to stop beating Alyea. Mattox allegedly beat Alyea with a car
jack handle Hilt supposedly didn't tell authorities because he feared
Mattox, his cousin.
Hilt was
reportedly Alyea's ex-boyfriend, and their relationship was
allegedly abusive. Hilt and Alyea had each other's names tattooed
on their bodies, but Alyea's father had said Hilt's name would be removed
before Alyea's funeral.
Hilt's sentencing is scheduled for July 13.
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