Jury found Robert Pettus, 22, guilty of raping and murdering Martha E. Byrd

Jury found Robert Pettus, 22, guilty of raping and murdering Martha E. Byrd, who lived in the 500 block of Hilltop Terrace SE. Byrd's nude body was found in her bed with a 12-inch knife protruding from her chest. Prosecutors also said Pettus left a handwritten note attached to Byrd's stomach: "You souldns [shouldn't] have cheated on me." Pettus was arrested six days later. Judge Neal E. Kravitz called the crime "unspeakable" and said Pettus "proved himself utterly incapable of living peacefully in the community." During the trial, Byrd's family members and friends spoke about the grandmother who raised four sons and who had arthritis and walked with a cane. Authorities said Pettus strangled Byrd until she lost consciousness, then raped and stabbed her. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gorman had asked Kravitz to sentence Pettus to life without parole. Pettus must spend at least 55 years in prison before being eligible for release. Some of Byrd's family members were disappointed with the sentence.