WHEATON — A DuPage County jury has found Wheaton resident Michael Delaney guilty of first-degree murder for the 2009 stabbing death of his neighbor, according to media reports.
Jurors convicted Delaney, 49, of 720 Crescent St., Friday night after a trial that began Wednesday with claims of self-defense. On Thursday, a motion from the defense that said prosecutors failed to prove the stabbing was premeditated beyond a reasonable doubt was denied.
The jury found Delaney murdered Michael Scalzo, 40, in a cold, calculating manner, meaning he could be sentenced to natural life in prison.
On June 19, 2009, Scalzo was killed after trying to break up an altercation between Delaney and another man near his apartment in the 800 block of Crescent Street, according to a 2009 Wheaton Leader article.
The stabbing happened before 8:30 p.m. when Delaney began fighting with another man, and Scalzo stepped in, trying to calm the situation down, said Wheaton Police Chief Mark Field in the article.
"Scalzo was actually trying to be the peacemaker," he said.
The stabbing took place in the parking lot of 720 Crescent St., and the murder weapon was found nearby, police said. Scalzo was stabbed six times during the attack, according to a forensics autopsy.
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