ALHAMBRA – A jury found a Los Angeles man guilty Thursday of the fatal stabbing of his estranged wife and the wounding of her sister two years ago at the women’s home in an unincorporated county area near San Gabriel, officials said.
The Alhambra Superior Court jury convicted Sherman Dion Dorsey, 42, of the second-degree murder of Gina Reano, 45 with the special allegation that Dorsey personally used a knife in the killing, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
He was also convicted of attempted voluntary manslaughter for the attack on Reano’s younger sister, who survived the ordeal, officials said. The jury found true the special allegation of great bodily injury inflicted and a dangerous weapon used.
Dorsey faces up to 24 years to life in state prison when he returns to court for sentencing Oct. 1, authorities said.
Dorsey and Reano were separated, but had been working to patch up their relationship, when the killing took place on Aug. 3. 2011, at a home in the 5500 block of Walnut Grove Avenue, according to sheriff’s officials.
While Reano was staying with her sister and her family at the Walnut Grove home, “Dorsey went to the home with the pretext of delivering mail to his estranged wife,” according to the D.A.’s statement.
Several hours later, Reano’s sister heard arguing fro upstairs and found her sister bloodied and crying, officials said.
Dorsey attacked the sister, “first attempting to strangle her and then slashing her with a broken wine glass,” the D.A.’s statement said. “Gina tried to help, but the defendant managed to injure the sister.”
Reano herself suffered 13 stab wounds to her chest, neck and upper back, officials said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
When deputies arrived at the stabbing scene, they encountered Dorsey, who was suffering from apparently self-inflicted stab wounds.