Seven Fields Man Found Guilty of Shooting Teen Friend

A Butler County jury today found a Seven Fields man guilty of third-degree murder in the shooting death more than a year ago of a visting teen friend at his family's home, WPXI reports.

Eric Ruthledge, 20, was convicted of shooting and killing his best friend, Courtney Daily, who was visiting Rutledge from her hometown of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Jurors deliberated for about six hours Wednesday and several hours Thursday morning, according to the news station.

Cranberry police, who were dispatched on Nov. 16, 2010, to the home on Woodhaven Drive in after receiving reports of a self-inflicted shooting, said they found Daily lying on the floor of an upstairs bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the criminal complaint.

WPXI said the two ordered food from Domino's just before the shooting took place. The defense argued the two were having a good time and messing around with a gun when it accidentally fired.

Daily’s mother, Pamela, was emotional after she left the court room and said she believed justice was served in the case, according to WPXI. 

Rutledge is scheduled to be sentenced April 10. He faces 20 to 40 years in prison.