Louisiana man convicted of killing wife, her boyfriend

COVINGTON, La. (AP) - A Louisiana man has been convicted of killing his estranged wife and her boyfriend after one of his children asked to talk to the boyfriend.

Jason Matthew Magee, 39, of Pearl River, faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison for the first-degree murders of Jennifer Wallace Magee, 32, and Donald Grose, 34, District Attorney Warren Montgomery said in a news release. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, the only other possible sentence.

Magee’s older brother, James Magee, is on death row for killing his wife and their 5-year-old son in 2007, news agencies have reported. James Magee was also convicted in 2009 of trying to kill their two daughters in the same incident, The New Orleans Advocate and Nola.com ’ The Times-Picayune have reported.

State District Judge August Hand scheduled sentencing April 8 for Jason Magee, known as Matt.

Jennifer Magee, a nurse from Pearl River, and Gros, an EKG technician from Marrero, were shot to death June 19, 2017.

The Magees had been separated for more than a year and were going through a divorce, Montgomery said. He said Jason Magee had spent the day with their children, ages 6 and 8. After they said goodnight to their mother over the phone, one asked to talk to Gros.

“Magee grew enraged, drove the children to his parents’ home in Pearl River, and then drove a short distance away to Jennifer’s home,” Montgomery said. He said Magee kicked his way into the trailer home and shot his wife and Gros in just over 1½ minutes.

Magee did not take the stand, news agencies reported. His attorney argued that Magee shot Gros in self-defense, after the other man pointed a gun at him, and Jennifer Magee was accidentally shot while the two scuffled.

Magee’s truck and gun were never found, but Assistant District Attorneys Blair Alford and Criminal Division Chief Collin Sims presented evidence that shell casings at the scene matched a partly empty box in Jason Magee’s gun cabinet, Montgomery said.

He said crime scene photographs showed a game system remote next to Gros’ hand and no signs of a struggle - including a dollhouse next to the spot where he fell, with all of its miniature pieces still in place.