- Deon Andre Jennings was convicted of manslaughter after stabbing his aunt’s boyfriend in 2022.
- Jurors found Jennings could have thought he was justified in defending himself after hearing evidence, including Jennings’ testimony.
- Multiple judges, including the Utah Supreme Court, found Jennings was not justified.
SALT LAKE CITY — Jurors found a West Valley City man guilty of killing his aunt’s boyfriend by stabbing him in the back, but said he could have believed he was defending himself.
Deon Andre Jennings, 35, was convicted of manslaughter, a second-degree felony. The charge was reduced from murder, a first-degree felony, because jurors found that prosecutors didn’t prove that he did not believe he was justified in defending himself.
The trial began on Aug. 25, and jurors heard witnesses that day and the next, including testimony from Jennings. On Aug. 28, the eight jurors listened to closing arguments in the afternoon and deliberated from about 4 p.m. until almost 1 a.m. before deciding to come back in the morning. They deliberated another four hours before reaching a verdict…