A Marion County jury wasted little time Thursday afternoon deciding the fate of Michael Montgomery Jr., convicting the 48-year-old of first-degree murder for the grisly 2023 killing of Wayne Barlow.
The conviction brings a close to a case that began with a shocking roadside discovery and ended with a botched getaway in the victim’s stolen car.
In addition to the capital murder charge, jurors found Montgomery guilty of fleeing and eluding law enforcement, resisting an officer, and driving with a suspended license. The verdict followed compelling testimony from Montgomery’s co-defendant, 39-year-old Jessica Lynn Long, who took the stand against him…