Wichita, KANSAS – On Friday, jury convicted the 57-year-old defendant of first-degree murder and aggravated criminal sodomy in the July 2019 death of 72-year-old Rita Golden.
His name is John Pepper and he was homeless at the time.
The 72-year-old victim allowed him to stay in her backyard and on occasion come into her home to eat or take a nap.
On July 15, 2019, the victim’s daughter found her mother unresponsive on the floor.
An autopsy determined the cause of death as hypertensive cardiovascular disease with atrial fibrillation.
Pepper is scheduled to be sentenced December 10th.
This is a developing story and it will be updated as new information become available.