Springford found guilty, sister reacts

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A Colorado man has been convicted of killing his prominent parents in their Montgomery home on Thanksgiving four years ago.

A jury in Montgomery found Winston Brent Springford Jr. guilty of capital murder Thursday afternoon.

The verdict ended an abbreviated two-day trial.

That was because Springford pleaded guilty last month to capital murder and prosecutors agreed to a sentence of life in prison without parole rather than a death sentence.

Despite the plea, state law still required a brief trial and jury verdict.

Jurors heard a confession from Springford in which he admitted using an ax and knife to kill his parents.

Springford said he acted after his father threatened to sell the home in Greeley, Colo., that he had bought for Springford.

Late Thursday evening WSFA 12 News recieved a statement from Springford's sister, Robin Crouch.

It reads:

In November 2004, I lost the two most special people in my life. It was devastating enough to lose my parents, but to lose them at the hands of my own brother was unimaginable. Many years passed without a resolution to this tragedy, and though we have been patient with the judicial system and stoic on the outside, our family has been more than ready to see justice served. Today we finally received some closure in that we feel the person responsible for it all is being held accountable for what he did. Although I feel he deserves the same fate he afforded my parents, our family does take comfort in knowing that he will no longer be able to harm anyone else.

We cannot give enough praise to Ellen Brooks and her superb team of attorneys and investigators, as well as to Detective Mike Myrick and the Montgomery Police Department. We appreciate all of their hard work and will always be grateful for their service.

Robin S. Crouch

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. WSFA 12 News contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.)