A Sacramento Superior Court jury convicted Marquis Deonta Greenwood of felony murder Thursday in the shooting death of his partner during a Dec. 27, 2010, store robbery in Alkali Flat.

The panel deliberated just under two full days before returning the finding against Greenwood, 21, in the killing of Tiekarian Troutman, 18, at the Deluxe Grocery Store at 13th and E streets.

Greenwood and Troutman were robbing the store when one of the owners chased them out by throwing a pop bottle at them. Jurors found that during a scuffle with a store owner on the way out, Greenwood tried to shoot the grocer but instead fatally wounded his partner.

"When you have a robbery that spins out of control like that and things spin outside the plan, a lot of times innocent people get killed," Deputy District Attorney Sheri Greco said after the verdict. "Here, it was one of the accomplices. But felony murder applies the same to an accomplice as it does to an innocent bystander. The jury followed the law and worked hard and did the right thing."

Greenwood, testifying in his own behalf at trial, maintained that Troutman had the gun during the robbery and that he accidentally shot himself when the two of them ran out of the store. He showed no emotion when the jury announced its verdict. His attorney, Assistant Public Defender Amy Rogers, declined to comment.

Perhaps the most important piece of evidence against Greenwood was a text message that Troutman sent to family members in the minutes after the shooting in which he said it was his partner who shot him.

A woman who assisted the two in scoping out the market, Shayana Hollis, 18, testified at trial that it was Greenwood who threw the handgun into her lap when the two returned to their car after the robbery. Hollis pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the case and is facing a 12-year sentence.

Along with the murder, jurors also found true the special-circumstance allegation that Greenwood killed Troutman during the course of a robbery. The finding will likely result in a life term with no chance of parole for Greenwood. Judge Marjorie Koller scheduled his sentencing for April 19.

Jurors also convicted Greenwood of attempted murder and of robbery and carjacking in a separate case that took place a week before the shooting in which Troutman was killed.

Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141. Follow him on Twitter @andyfurillo.

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