Douglas McFarlane, 27, of Middletown, was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree murder following a jury trial in Orange County Court on Friday, Oct. 23, according to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
The conviction comes weeks after Sheldon Paul, 42, also of Middletown, was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder for arranging the killing of a man he mistakenly believed had orchestrated a burglary at his home, as Daily Voice previously reported.
The murder happened on the morning of March 11, 2019, when McFarlane, then 19, and Dijion Constantine, then 18, forced their way into the victim's apartment on Knapp Street in Middletown, according to evidence presented at both trials. The victim, who was alone inside the apartment, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Prosecutors said that Paul hired McFarlane and Constantine to kill the man in retaliation for a burglary of Paul's home five days earlier, on March 6, 2019.
According to the DA's Office, Paul offered the pair $10,000 and a pound of marijuana to carry out the killing.
McFarlane shot the victim in the head at close range with a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol, prosecutors said.
Evidence presented at both trials also showed that Paul later realized he had been wrong about the victim's involvement in the burglary.
Paul was convicted on Friday, Oct. 2, and faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 21, 2027.
McFarlane, meanwhile, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole on the first-degree murder conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 25, 2027, and remains held at the Orange County Jail without bail.
As for Constantine, now 26, he previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 4.
Hoovler said prosecutors will seek the maximum permissible sentences for both McFarlane and Paul.
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