Man convicted of murdering victim whose body he dumped in Angeles National Forest
A jury deliberated for two days before finding a Burbank man guilty of murdering another man and burying the body in a shallow grave in the Angeles National Forest four years ago.
Donald Thurman, 30, was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the death of 25-year-old Nicholas Carter of Glendale. According to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office, the jury also found that the murder was committed for financial gain.
Carter was last seen Jan. 7, 2013, watching a football game with a friend. He also posted on his Facebook account later that evening.
His body was discovered 12 days later in a shallow grave near Big Tujunga Canyon Road in the Angeles National Forest.
One attempt to find Carter was unsuccessful after a hiker reported encountering a shallow grave on Jan. 8. His body ended up being several hundred yards away from where the hiker initially reported the grave.
Authorities said Thurman and 26-year-old Erik Pearson beat Carter to death and stole his credit cards.
Pearson pleaded guilty to murder in May. He and Thurman face life in prison; both are scheduled to be sentenced July 17.
Nguyen writes for Times Community News
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