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A federal jury convicted two Kansas City men today in the hate-crime murder of a Northeast area pedestrian in 2005.
Gary Eye and Steven Sandstrom had been on trial for killing William McCay early the morning of March 9 in what prosecutors alleged was a violation of his civil right to walk down a Kansas City street unmolested because of his race.
McCay was black. Eye and Sandstrom are white.
Each defendant was convicted of four capital crimes, including murder, firearms violations and witness tampering. Both also were convicted of arson and obstruction of justice for burning a car used in the shooting at Ninth Street and Brighton Avenue.
In addition, jurors convicted Eye of an initial civil rights assault on McCay just prior to the murder and a firearms violation related to that assault. The jury acquitted Sandstrom on those counts.
In addition, jurors convicted Sandstrom of threatening to retaliate against a federal witness.
The trial now moves to a penalty phase opening Monday, in which jurors will decide whether Eye and Sandstrom will face the death penalty or life in prison.
