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WEST JORDAN — A jury has convicted a Sandy man of manslaughter rather than murder in the death of a woman he shot in the back of the head as she fled his home.
After about seven hours of deliberation Friday, the four-man, four-woman jury opted for the lesser charge for Larry Kent Graff, 54, in the death of 26-year-old Candace Melo, court officials confirmed.
The jury was hung on a count of attempted murder, a first-degree felony. After shooting Melo, police say Graff fired a single shot at her boyfriend, Michael Grimsley. During testimony in a prior hearing, Grimsley said he survived the encounter by dropping to the ground and pretending he had been shot.
Graff shot Melo, who had been staying at his Sandy home, 343 E. Gary Ave. (9560 South), as she ran from the house with a laptop computer. Melo and Graff's girlfriend, Tanell Jensen, had been arguing over what Melo owed for her weeklong stay as she prepared to leave, according to prosecutors.
Defense attorney Greg Skordas said in opening arguments Tuesday that Graff acknowledged he was wrong to shoot Melo and turn on Grimsley. However, he claimed Melo ultimately died from a lack of medical attention after police left her lying in Graff's driveway for 30 minutes, believing she was already dead.
Deputy Salt Lake County district attorney Tyson Hamilton claimed during the trial that Melo could not have survived the gunshot to the head.
