New Jersey jury convicts Florida man who claimed he was too fat for murder

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

A jury at a court in New Jersey, United States has convicted Florida resident Edward Ates of the murder of his ex-son-in-law. Ates, who was five feet eight inches tall and weighed 285 pounds at the time, had used the defence that he was too fat to kill.

Ates had also claimed he had no motive for the 2006 murder of Paul Duncsak, who was embroiled in a custody battle with Ates' daughter over their child following a divorce. He had claimed in court that having climbed the stairs in Duncsak's Ramsey, New Jersey home he would have been so winded that he would have lacked the energy to raise, aim and fire a gun at the victim.

The prosecution had introduced evidence of Ates' prowess with a firearm, producing testimony that he displayed good marksmanship in the army and had recently shot a snake. Another claim of Ates was that his weight and size prevented the quick getaway to Louisiana the prosecution was alleging took place.

Ates will be sentenced on December 17.

Sources

• Frank James "Jury Convicts Man Who Used Too-Fat-To-Kill Defense". NPR, November 6, 2009
• "'Too fat to kill' Fla. man convicted of murder". USA Today, November 6, 2009
  

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