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Former Allan Hancock College student-athletes found guilty of Santa Maria murder

Posted at 10:51 PM, Apr 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-28 01:51:05-04

Two former Allan Hancock College basketball players charged in the death of a Santa Maria man in 2014 were convicted Friday afternoon, prosecutors said.

Ali Mohammed and Lavell White were found guilty of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of murder during the commission of a robbery in connection with the shooting death of Terence Richardson.

The jury did find the two men not guilty of two robbery and burglary charges and were hung on four other counts, according to prosecutors. 

The murder happened on Dec. 30, 2014 in the 1000 block of East Jones, according to Santa Maria police. On January 10, 2015, the police department’s SWAT Team served two search warrants related to the investigation. That same day, police felt the evidence gathered and interviews conducted had yielded enough information to arrest Mohammed and White,  who were 19 and 22-years-old at the time. Both of them lived in Santa Maria.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office used the evidence gathered during the police investigation against the men during the trial, which began in February.

Sentencing is schedule for August 27.

Mohammed and White face life behind bars without the possibility of parole. 

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Former Allan Hancock College basketball players on trial for murder