He was charged for murder but after four hours of deliberation, last night a jury convicted Jamie Dawson of the lesser charge of manslaughter for the December 2002 slaying of Maurice Neal in Bismark nightclub.
Last night at around 8, the jury emerged with a vote of 10 to 2. The conviction on the lesser charge was produced without the eyewitness testimony of Neal's best friend and an eyewitness Nicholee Lewis. Lewis was shot to death two weeks ago - just days before he was to take the stand in the trial. Police say he was killed so that he wouldn't testify, and after the killing, Dawson's brother Jason Paulino was charged for murder.
But despite his death, Lewis's statement to police was admitted. The jury also heard testimony from other eyewitnesses who said that Dawson simply walked into Bismark club on the night of December 17th, 2002 pointed a gun at Maurice and pulled the trigger.
Jamie Dawson will be sentenced next Tuesday. His brother Jason Paulino is still remanded awaiting trial for the murder of Nicholee Lewis.