LAKEPORT — A jury of seven men and five women found Ivan Garcia Oliver guilty of first-degree murder Thursday for the stabbing death of neighbor Michael A. Dodele nearly five years ago.
Oliver, 34, took the stand in his own defense and told the jury he killed Dodele in self-defense on Nov. 20, 2007.
The prosecution argued Oliver committed premeditated murder by stabbing Dodele 65 times after mistaking Dodele for a child molester by misinterpreting information on the Megan”s Law website.
Dodele, 67, was a sex offender whose crimes were against women, not children. The two men were neighbors in a Lakeport trailer park.
The jury, which deliberated for parts of two days, also returned a guilty verdict for first-degree burglary Thursday morning at the Lake County Courthouse.
The jurors found Oliver not guilty of elder abuse, a crime alleging that Oliver knew or should have known Dodele was older than 64.
Judge Arthur H. Mann scheduled Oliver”s sentencing to take place on Aug. 29.
Defense counsel Stephen Carter said Oliver plans to appeal.
