Colorado Man Found Guilty Of Forestville Marijuana Murders

SANTA ROSA - A Colorado man was found guilty Friday of six felonies including three counts of first-degree murder for the execution-style shooting of three business partners during a marijuana deal in a Forestville cabin three years ago.

Mark Cappello, 49, of Central City, Colorado, was convicted of the murder charges along with conspiracy to sell marijuana, robbery and residential burglary after the Sonoma County jury deliberated for less than a day.

The jury found Cappello guilty of killing Todd Klarkowski, 42, of Boulder, Colorado; Richard Lewin, 46, of Huntington, New York; and Raleigh Butler, 26, of Truckee, in Butler's mother's cabin on Feb. 5, 2013.

Also on Patch:

• Marijuana Murder Trial: Jury Begins Deliberations
• Marijuana Murder Trial: Closing Arguments
• Marijuana Murder Trial: Final Arguments Scheduled
• Marijuana Murder Trial: Odin Dwyer Testimony
• Court Testimony: Forestville Marijuana Murder

Two of Cappello's co-defendants pleaded no contest to lesser charges in return for lighter sentences and testified against him.

The defense claimed those two men committed the slayings.

The prosecution characterized the murders as a betrayal of trust and argued Cappello killed the men because he was in dire financial straits.

-Bay City News, image via ShutterStock