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Cop-Killer Found Guilty of Capital Murder; Gets Life Behind Bars

Richard "Joey" Hollingsworth is pictured during a break in testimony at his trail in Circuit Judge John Lockett's courtroom Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, in Mobile, Ala.

MOBILE, Alabama – Tuesday 1:42 p.m. Joey Hollingsworth’s family left the court in tears and would not talk on camera. But Brandon Sigler’s mom did talk to news 5. She’s praying for the family of the man convicted of killing her son.

“His family is hurting just as we’ve hurt,” said Nina Gordon. “My heart goes out to them as well. We both lost our children that day.”

Hollingsworth will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Tuesday 11:00 a.m. Jury finds Joey Hollingsworth guilty of capital murder in the 2009 shooting death of Mobile Police Officer Brandon Sigler. But prosecutors will not seek the death penalty.

Tuesday 10:30 a.m. The jury has reached a verdict. We will bring it to you as soon as its announced.

Brandon Sigler

Tuesday 10:00 a.m. Jury deliberations are back underway in the capital murder trial of Richard “Joey” Hollingsworth, a man accused of shooting an off-duty Mobile police officer.

The jury got the case around 4 p.m. Monday and deliberated about an hour before recessing for the day.

Monday 10:30 a.m. The defense rested its case in the capital murder trial of Richard “Joey” Hollingsworth, a man accused of shooting an off-duty Mobile police officer.

Monica Henry, a neighbor who witnessed the June 2009 shooting, told jurors that she did not hear Brandon Sigler identify himself as a police officer. “Did you hear anybody yell out I’m a police officer,” asked Defense attorney Jeff Deen. “No, I did not,” Henry replied, though on cross-examination Henry admitted she may not have heard the entire exchange between Sigler and Hollingsworth, who was 18 at the time of the shooting.

Sigler was working as a courtesy officer at Tyler Ridge Apartments when investigators say he tried to break up a fight. Henry testified she saw Sigler pull out his gun and point it at Hollingsworth, demanding he get out of a truck. Henry says Sigler then put his gun back in his holster before he was shot.

“By the time I got there he was on the ground,” said Henry who witnessed the shooting from the balcony of her apartment. Henry testified that Sigler was lying flat on his back with his gun in his holster when she rushed over to help him.

Sigler died of a gunshot to his chest.

Hollingsworth is charged with capital murder because Sigler was a Mobile police officer, but prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty.

Closing arguments will begin at 1 p.m. Circuit Judge John Lockett posted a sign outside the courtroom banning electronics, including cell phones and laptop computers.