A New Castle County jury deliberated about 20 hours over three days before finding Otis Phillips, 38, and Jeffrey Phillips, 23, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of tournament organizer Herman Curry, 47.
According to prosecutors, the defendants were members of a criminal street gang known as the Sure Shots and were out to avenge a friend's killing earlier that day. They also said Otis Phillips wanted to silence Curry so that he could not testify against him in Palmer's killing.
backyard, with Jeffrey Phillips suffering from a gunshot wound in the leg, after the car in which they were riding crashed. Sheldon Ogle, 43, a cousin of Otis Phillips, was found fatally shot in the driver's seat of the car after being hit by return gunfire from soccer spectators, according to authorities.
Attorneys for both Jeffrey Phillips and Otis Phillips tried to discredit several witnesses who testified against the defendants, including three Sure Shots members who were given probation after pleading guilty to participating in a criminal gang and agreeing to testify.