Jury Finds Essex Man Guilty in Murder-For-Hire Case

A Middle River man could face the death penalty now that a jury has convicted him in the 2010 murder-for-hire of a Towson gas station owner.

The Baltimore Sun reports the jury in Harford County Circuit Court deliberated for five hours on Wednesday before reaching a verdict in the case against Walter Bishop.

The jury will reconvene tomorrow to hear arguments on Bishop's sentence, the newspaper reports.

Bishop, of Middle River, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of William R. Ray Porter, who was shot and killed on March 1, 2010 as he arrived at the Hess gas station in Towson, which he managed.

Six days later, Bishop was arrested and told investigators on camera that he killed Porter (The Sun has video of the interrogation.). Prosecutors say the victim's wife, Karla Porter, hired Porter, 29.

Under state law that went into effect in 2009, courts require conclusive evidence—such as DNA, surveillance footage or a taped confession—to allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

Karla Porter is set to stand trial in 2012. The four alleged co-conspirators, some of whom took the stand during the trial, include several of Karla Porter's relatives, most recently None have yet been sentenced.