After four days of deliberation, a jury found Dominic Dennard Jr. guilty of killing Syracuse University student Simeon Popov in January 2002. Dennard now faces life in prison.

Jury members convicted Dennard of two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. They did not, however, find him guilty of first-degree murder and one of the counts of second-degree murder.

Scott Porter, the defense attorney, explained the jury found Dennard guilty of only felony murder charges, likely meaning that jurors didn’t believe Dennard meant to kill Popov when he pulled the trigger.

‘That was not something we asked the jury to do,’ Porter said of the outcome. ‘Our focus was strictly on raising reasonable doubt about the identity of the perpetrator.’

The jury may have decided Dennard did not intend to kill Popov because witnesses of the slaying said the gun malfunctioned earlier in the robbery, possibly because of a broken spring, Porter said.

‘I never felt that this was a strong case for the defense,’ Porter said. ‘All three victims who witnessed the shooting said it was an intentional act.’

‘I’m just satisfied this is over, and he’s going to go away for the rest of his life,’ said Nicholas DeMartino, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case. ‘He’s not going to set foot on free soil again.’

Jurors were reluctant to discuss their deliberations in depth, but they said they were very thorough in considering the evidence, requesting numerous repetitions of testimony and legal definitions of charges.

‘There were some pieces of evidence that were not there,’ said Lori Bowers, a juror. ‘It’s as if it was a huge, huge puzzle.’

The consistency of the times and dates delivered by almost 50 witnesses was a major concern for the jurors, Bowers added.

‘We waited until the point we were beyond reasonable doubt, and we were very methodical,’ said Mary Anne Brigandi, a juror.

Brigandi and Bowers both said the emotional content of the trial was a challenge to their objectivity.

‘There were no happy people; everyone had a tragic loss,’ Bowers said. ‘We were very mindful of that but we would take as long as needed to get to the right conclusion.’

The Popov family expressed relief that the ordeal was over and gratitude to DeMartino for his prosecution of the case.

‘We are leaving with a feeling that we have completed our mission,’ Krasi Popov, Simeon’s mother, said in a written statement. ‘This was the last thing we could do for our son.’

‘The verdict we just heard made us believe in American justice,’ Popov added.

Others close to Simeon Popov were less satisfied with the justice system.

‘I call on our community to wage a war against the urban terrorist threat,’

said Bill Harris, a music professor at the Setnor School of Music and mentor to Popov.

Harris blamed the murder on drugs, asking for a ‘zero tolerance policy’ at SU.

‘(Drugs) are what brought these criminals to our campus,’ Harris said. ‘If anyone says there are no innocent victims of drugs, they need just look at Simeon Popov.’

Drew Buske, captain of patrol at the Department of Public Safety, said he was satisfied by the outcome of the trial.

‘We’re very happy that a guilty verdict was rendered by the jury,’ Buske said. ‘We hope the Popov family can close one chapter of this tragedy.’

For others, the verdict was comforting, but can’t make up for their loss.

‘I feel a little relief, but that won’t bring Moni back,’ said Lubo Kalbakdchiev, a life-long friend of Popov. ‘But it’s something.’

Popov was killed Jan. 20, 2002 in an apartment on Ostrom Avenue when he walked in on a robbery attempt while delivering a pizza from Dorian’s Pizza and Deli.

According to testimony heard at the trial, witnesses said Popov was skeptical that the robbery was genuine and attempted to leave, saying he had other deliveries to make.

Dennard then shot Popov in the face at point blank range and left the apartment shortly after, witnesses testified.

The first trial deadlocked last June and ended in a mistrial. The second trial ended in its fifth week.

Dennard will be sentenced Feb. 25.

Published on September 23, 2004 at 12:00 pm