Two Santa Rosa men accused of stabbing to death another man outside his sister's birthday party were cleared of murder charges Thursday but were found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for the benefit of a gang.
The verdicts for Cesar Chavez, 23, and Edward Sciutto, 24, followed two days of deliberation after a two-week trial into the April 24, 2010 slaying of Bounnoi Douangmeechit, 25.
Jurors also found defendant, Jessica Morell, 23, of Santa Rosa, guilty of being an accessory after the fact for driving a getaway car. She was convicted additionally of being a member of a gang.
Morell, who had been free on bail, cried as deputies placed her in handcuffs, her family and friends watching tearfully from the audience.
"I'm pleased with the jury's decision," prosecutor Victoria Shanahan said. "They took their job seriously."
All three will be sentenced Nov. 22. Chavez and Sciutto, who also were convicted of assault with a deadly weapon on two other partygoers, face a maximum of 25 years in prison.
Morell could get up to seven years behind bars.
Before the trial, the defendants turned down plea bargains carrying lighter sentences. Chavez and Sciutto could have served seven years in prison and Morell could have received probation.
The Pearblossom Drive killing happened after the defendants and another man, Roberto Herrera, arrived at a party for Semeye Douangmeechit.
Witnesses said a fight involving a half-dozen people broke out when one of Douangmeechit's cousins angered Herrera by touching his head.
In rejecting second-degree murder charges for Chavez and Sciutto, jurors found the killing happened after "a sudden quarrel, during the heat of passion."
Douangmeechit's name was spelled differently in initial police reports.
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