PLACERVILLE—
A jury found former school custodian John Luebbers guilty of first-degree murder in the Feb. 2011, with a gun enhancement.
The defense rested without calling any witnesses Tuesday.
Luebbers killed Placerville’s Louisiana Schnell School Principal Sam LaCara.
He was a custodian that, investigators say, had an argument with LaCara prior to the alleged shooting, which occurred February 2, 2011. LaCara was said to have told Luebbers to go home to cool off, but instead he returned with a gun and shot LaCara three times in the principal’s office.
Luebbers' attorney said last week that there was no doubt whether Luebbers fired the gun, but claimed his client was not in a sound state of mind when it happened.
Witnesses in the trial have said that the argument Luebbers and LaCara had was over the hiring of a new custodian.
A first-degree murder charge normally carries a 25-year-to-life prison sentence. The special circumstance of using a gun could increase that sentence.
