One convicted, one acquitted by jury following three day trial over 2008 slaying

A three-day homicide trial ended with a split verdict early Thursday evening. A 10-woman, two-man Whitley County Circuit Court Jury deliberated for three hours before delivering their verdict of reckless homicide against George Anthony Damron in connection with the June 6, 2008, death of Charles Frazier.

Damron had originally been charged with murder and jurors had the option of convicting him of either that crime, first-degree manslaughter, second-degree manslaughter or reckless homicide, which is the most minor of the four offenses. Jurors acquitted his co-defendant, Dwayne Cox of complicity and facilitation charges.

Jurors needed about eight minutes to recommend the minimum one-year prison sentence for Damron, who will be eligible for parole after serving 15 percent of his sentence. Frazier’s family members were upset by the verdict and noted that people receive more prison time for bootlegging and selling marijuana in Whitley County than Damron will get in this case.

Damron testified minutes before jurors recommended his sentence that he felt his life was in danger the evening he stabbed Frazier. “I felt like it was me or someone else. I just want to say I’m sorry that it happened,” he testified.

Frazier was stabbed three times and had his throat slashed during a March 28, 2008, fight that also involved Damron, Cox and Frazier’s son, Joe Frazier. He died at the University of Kentucky Medical Center weeks later as a result of the altercation. Judge Paul Braden scheduled Damron’s formal sentencing for Sept. 25.

See a more complete story about this trial in the upcoming edition of the News Journal.