Mooney found guilty in grandfather's murder
Sean Patrick Mooney, 21, has been found guilty of killing his grandfather, Robert Deming, 77, last May. Deming was shot in the back of the head with a shotgun at his residence on Bonneau Road.
A Sonoma County jury pronounced the Chico man guilty of first-degree murder for financial gain. The decision could mean a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
On May 20, 2008, Deming was killed by a shotgun blast to the head at close range. Mooney’s first explanation to police was that armed intruders had come into Deming’s home on Bonneau Road, shooting and killing his grandfather before driving off. He then said that he accidentally fired the stolen 12-gauge shotgun as he jumped onto a bed and tried to throw the gun across the room to stop Deming from trying to kill himself.
Mooney later admitted to lying about these explanations. Unemployed and with a secret and pregnant fiancée, Mooney was suspected of killing his grandfather for the insurance money.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19.
