Michael Gaffney, who was 21 at the time, was convicted of guilty of reckless manslaughter around 9:45 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30, following a trial that began Oct. 6, the outlet reported.
Gaffney, of Maywood, was 21 when Francis Garcia, of Bloomingdale, lost consciousness during a sexual encounter in her car outside a Hackensack party on Nov. 2, 2019, as previously reported by Daily Voice.
During the trial, Bergen County Assistant Prosecutor Meredith Kunz told jurors that Gaffney admitted to police he had put his hands around Garcia's neck while they were having sex and that she passed out, according to NorthJersey.com. Rather than calling 911, Gaffney posted a video on social media showing Garcia unconscious with her bare buttocks exposed, Kunz said.
In an earlier court proceeding, prosecutors described a Snapchat photo Gaffney took of Garcia's unconscious body with the caption: "Just f---ed this b---h. I don't know what to do."
An autopsy found compression injuries around Garcia's neck, with the Bergen County Medical Examiner's Office determining that she died from asphyxiation, according to previous Daily Voice reporting.
Gaffney's defense attorney, Ilene McFarland, however, argued that a combination of alcohol, Xanax, and marijuana caused Garcia's death, NorthJersey.com reported. When reached for comment Friday morning, Oct. 30, a representative at McFardland's office directed Daily Voice to call back on Monday.
Both sides delivered closing arguments Wednesday, Oct. 28. Jurors began their first full day of deliberations Thursday, Oct. 29, and returned their verdict the following morning.
Following her death, Garcia's family started a GoFundMe calling Gaffney a coward. The campaign has since been deactivated.
Gaffney remains jailed pending sentencing, which is reportedly set in December.
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