CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A man who failed in his attempt to rob Fort Financial CU in nearby Gastonia a year ago was convicted Friday of literally scaring a woman to death while running from the cops after the foiled heist.
As he fled police, Larry Whitfield, 20, ran into the home of 79-year-old Mary Parnell to hide and Parnell suffered a heart attack and died.
The jury said Whitfield's actions in her home caused her death, though the verdict stopped short of saying he'd killed her.
Parnell was dead when her husband found her hours later. The jury found Whitfield not guilty of killing her, but -- in a quirky three part verdict -- voted to place the blame for her death on him. That distinction still means he'll serve a mandatory life sentence.
Whitfield was one of two would-be robbers who entered the credit union in September 2008, then ran as police responded to the scene.
Whitfield was convicted of attempting to rob the credit union with a friend, Quanterrious McCoy, who has already pleaded guilty to the robbery. Whitfield was also convicted on two firearms charges.
Investigators said he and McCoy were separated while running from the cops, and Whitfield was trying to change clothes to get away. They believe he entered two homes in the process.
