TULSA, Okla. -- A jury has found Michael Bever guilty of murdering five members of his family.
The jury, who was made up of 11 women and 3 men, came back with the verdict in about five hours.
After 14 days of testimony, attorneys on both sides were on the verge of tears going over the gruesome crime.
Bever is accused of stabbing six family members, killing five. He faces five charges of murder in the first degree and one count of assault and battery with intent to kill.
The prosecution started closing arguments Wednesday afternoon saying even if Michael was not directly involved with stabbing certain family members, he will be held liable unless he did everything in his power to stop the crime.
Prosecutors said he had many chances to do just that, but instead admitted to kicking open doors his siblings were hiding behind, and stabbing multiple family members.
"Michael out of his own mouth said that he deliberately distracted his sister by showing her a laptop in order from his brother to come up from behind and cut her throat. You now don't get to stand behind and do nothing," Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler said.
Prosecutors also brought up evidence of Michael shutting off the house alarm, and taking the phone away from his 12-year-old brother who dialed 9-1-1.
The defense said Michael was scared, and shocked by how the events escalated.
"The context of isolation and the context of mental illness. I think that helps understand how something unimaginable like this happens," Chief Public Defender Corbin Brewster said.
Michael told police in his taped statement "he'll just kill me too" and "I didn't like it the minute it started." The defense wrapped up by saying if Michael tried to stop his brother Robert, he would have been just another casualty.
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