- Izaak Joseph Vijil, 21, was convicted of manslaughter for Melissa Wood’s stabbing death.
- The jury found Vijil acted in imperfect self-defense, reducing the murder charge.
- Vijil faces a maximum of one to 15 years in prison; sentencing is on Aug. 26.
SALT LAKE CITY — A jury found a Murray man guilty of a lesser charge of manslaughter last week, concluding that he thought he was justified in defending himself when he stabbed a woman to death.
Izaak Joseph Vijil, now 21, was 16 on April 22, 2021, when he and others walked toward Melissa Wood, 34, who was with children in an apartment complex parking lot.
Vijil used a racial slur as he was talking, and Wood told him in a serious tone that he should not use the word in front of children, according to previous testimony in the case. Witnesses walking with Vijil testified that Wood appeared to be drunk and said they believed Vijil was punching Wood and did not know he was using a knife until they saw her bleeding and him running away…