Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Man Guilty of Trying to Kill Ex-Girlfriend : Trial: Johnny Mack Finney of Val Verde could spend the rest of his life in prison after setting the woman on fire.

A Val Verde man who poured gasoline on his ex-girlfriend and set her on fire was found guilty Wednesday of attempted first-degree murder and could spend the rest of his life in prison.

A Van Nuys Superior Court jury deliberated for about two days before finding Johnny Mack Finney, 39, guilty of attempted murder and four lesser charges stemming from the Aug. 1, 1993, attack on Janice Johnson, 31, at her Val Verde home, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Linda Greenberg.

Johnson sustained life-threatening second- and third-degree burns to about one-fourth of her body in the attack.

Greenberg said the verdict was surprising because the jury chose to convict Finney of all five charges, even though the guilty verdict on the lesser charges will not affect the sentence he probably will receive.

“The jury could not find the defendant guilty of enough things,” Greenberg said. “Normally, what happens is if they find the defendant guilty of a greater offense they usually ignore the lesser ones.”

Deputy Public Defender Howard Waco argued that Finney should, at most, be convicted of two lesser felony assault charges.

Waco said he suspects the multiple conviction was caused by jury confusion, not any desire to send a vindictive message to Finney. The defense attorney said he was “surprised and somewhat disappointed” by the verdicts.

“The jury just couldn’t get away from the victim’s burns,” he said.

Johnson, now living in California City, is on disability after the burns disfigured her face and upper body and limited the use of one arm.

Finney and Johnson dated intermittently for about four years. The couple have two children, ages 2 years and 10 months. She also has a son, then 14, from a previous relationship.

Investigators said the assault was sparked by Johnson’s breakup with Finney. Waco argued during the trial that Finney’s judgment was so poor because of his constant drug and alcohol use that he could not coherently plot to kill Johnson, and the attack was a misguided attempt to frighten her.

Finney asked Johnson to go into the bathroom to talk to him, emptied a two-liter plastic soft drink bottle of gasoline on her, then threw a lighter at her as the three children watched. A neighbor who drove Finney to Johnson’s house, not knowing his intentions, heard Johnson screaming and rushed in to put out the fire using his hands.

*

Finney sustained third-degree burns to his arms, but walked away from Johnson’s house. Sheriff’s deputies arrested him a short time later while he was walking toward his home.

Superior Court Judge Candace Beason will sentence Finney on June 15. He could receive life in prison for the attempted murder and be eligible for parole after 10 years.

But Greenberg said it is rare for a person convicted of such an offense to be released that early.

Sentencing on the other charges will probably run concurrent to his attempted murder sentence, so no additional prison time will result, Greenberg added.

Waco said he will appeal the verdict, arguing that Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeff Jonas, who prosecuted the case, made statements of opinion and introduced evidence during the trial that may have unfairly prejudiced the jury.