James Malec was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for the shooting death of his stepson, former UFC heavyweight title contender Justin Eilers. Sherdog with the backstory:
Justin Eilers’ Stepfather Convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter
Eilers was shot once in the chest with a large caliber handgun during a domestic dispute in Malec and Eilers’ mother’s home. He was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency medical technicians could not revive him with CPR. Eilers was 30.
Malec, an ex-police officer, will face up to 15 years in prison after avoiding the defense’s attempts for a conviction of second-degree murder. Of particular interest to MMA fans was Malec’s defense using Eilers’ involvement with MMA as a part of their case:
“Never lose sight of the fact that Justin tried to make a living by pummeling people into submission,” defense attorney Gordon Petrie told the court, according to the report.
It isn’t clear how exactly his career in regulated combat sports justified Eilers being shot and killed in front of his family, especially when Justin was (as witnesses testified) backing away from Malec when the shot was fired. One can only hope that Justin’s wife and child are able to move forward after the conviction and live the kind of life he would have wanted for them.
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