St. George • A 29-year-old man faces up to life in prison after being convicted of murder in the fatal stabbing of a St. George woman in her apartment.
The Spectrum reports that jurors Friday convicted 29-year-old Kevin Ray Mcatlin of first-degree murder in the June 2018 killing of 33-year-old Elizabeth Carter.
Mcatlin didn't dispute he killed Carter but defense attorney Edward Flint argued that special mitigation circumstances existed that would have resulted in Mcatlin being convicted of manslaughter, a lesser charge.
Flint said Carter provoked Mcatlin by slapping him after he accused her of stealing drugs and other belongings of his. He stabbed Carter with a a short, decorative katana sword.
Sentencing is set for May 22. A Utah murder conviction results in a prison sentence of 15 years to life. The Board of Pardons will determine his exact length of sentence.