After hours of deliberations and late-night proceedings, jurors on Tuesday found a Warrick County man guilty of murder for the 2023 killing of 27-year-old Manuel Heaton.
The 12-member jury did not, however, find that Johnathon J. Buza should be sentenced to a term of life without the possibility of parole and will instead leave his eventual sentence up to the court.
Buza, 42, stood accused of fatally shooting “Manny” Heaton in the Bluegrass Fish and Wildlife Area amidst a financial scheme in April 2023 and faced charges of murder, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, in addition to sentencing enhancements…