One of two suspects guilty in murder of Douglas County man
Charley Carnes, shown at the time of his arrest and then in court Wednesday where he was found guilty of murder. By Dan Bain, KPIC NewsROSEBURG, Ore. -- A Days Creek teenager has been found guilty of murder and faces a 25 year prison sentence for helping kill a Canyonville man two years ago. Charley Carnes, 19, was convicted Wednesday in Judge Joan Seitz's Douglas County circuit courtroom. Carnes was accused of cutting the throat of Kevin Omann of Canyonville in September of 2007 in a remote area near Tiller, Ore.
After the defense abruptly ended its case, the prosecution asked for an hour to prepare for closing statements, and after final arguments the judge ruled quickly on the case. "As I view the evidence, there's a lot to support, and I'm going to make the finding of the accomplice theory. So, I am going to make the finding, I am going to find Mr. Carnes guilty of murder as an accomplice," said Judge Seitz. Prosecutor David Hopkins said in his closing arguments that driving the mother of the victim around to try to find her son when he knew Omann was dead, showed his true character. "I'm saying, think about what it would take to kill someone and go to the mother, and then drive around with her like that, not express remorse." Defense attorney Laura Fine told Judge Seitz that there was not proof that Kevin Omann was alive when Charley Carnes cut his throat. Fine said, "My client certainly had no motive. He was by all accounts good friends with Kevin Omann, spent the night at his house, they had worked together." Don Omann, the father of the victim said after the trial that he's, "just glad justice was done," and added "We won't have closure until after the next trial in February." That's when Austin Clark is scheduled to go on trial also for the murder of Omann. No date has been set for the sentencing for Carnes. |
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The defense tried to prove that Omann was already dead because of blows to the head with an axe by the other man 
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