Jeffrey Chapman was found guilty late Thursday afternoon of first degree murder in the November 2011 shooting death of Damon Galyardt. The verdict came following two full days of jury deliberations.
At about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the jury foreman peeked through the jury room door and indicated they had reached a verdict. In a matter of minutes, the jury, Chapman, the attorneys, court officials and spectators had filled the courtroom.
The foreman handed the signed verdict to the bailiff who handed it to District Judge Ron Svaty. After he looked it over, he passed it to the court clerk to be read aloud.
“We the jury find Jeffrey Chapman guilty of murder in the first degree,” it read. This includes the element of premeditation.
The news met with sobs and hugs from Galyardt’s family and friends who had sat through the four-day trial and two days of deliberating.
Defense attorney Kurt Kerns asked the jury be polled. One by one, the 12 panelists were asked if they concurred with the verdict and all said yes.
No date has been set for sentencing, but it will likely take place within 60 days.
Prosecuting attorney, Kansas Assistant Attorney General Steve Karrer, moved Chapman’s bond be revoked. Svaty granted the motion.

Earlier in the day
The jurors started Thursday promptly at 9 a.m. with an hour and a half of trial transcripts being read to them verbatim by the court reporter. She read through the testimony of four witnesses, including Summer Hoss, Galyardt’s fiancee who was three months pregnant at the time of the killing.
 In all cases, the testimony centered around the days leading up to and the night the Nov. 11 killing, and days that followed. It revolved around the volatile and violent relationship Hoss had with the meth addicted Galyardt and the threats the witnesses heard Chapman make towards Galyardt.
The witnesses whose testimony was read said Chapman treated Hoss like a little sister and was very upset with the way Galyardt was mistreating her. They also described how the Hoss-Galyardt home looked different the next day with furniture having been moved and other items in disarray.
Following the reading, they returned to the jury room, only breaking for lunch, until they arrived at the verdict.
His trial started last Monday with jury selection. Testimony, which has included that of Chapman himself, started last Thursday with closing arguments taking place this Tuesday.
The prosecution claims that an enraged Chapman threatened to kill Galyardt for mistreating Hoss, and followed through with that threat.
Chapman pleaded not guilty. His claimed he killed Galyardt in self defense when Galyardt, high on meth, came at him with a knife when Chapman went to his house to talk about his treatment of Hoss.
Chapman was convicted of  killing Galyardt, 25, who was fatally shot in Galyardt’s Great Bend home on Nov. 11, 2011. His body was dumped in a ditch in the county southwest of Great Bend, and found by hunters the following morning.