Would-Be CU Robber Guilty In BrutalDouble-Slaying

RACINE, Wis. - (06/01/06) – A state jury took just twohours Wednesday to return a guilty verdict in the October 2004double murder of a mother and her teenage daughter by a man who hadfled a botched robbery at a local credit union. Wendell McPhersonwas convicted of all six charges against him, including thedouble-slaying of Nancy Mason, 40, and her 19-year-old daughter,Meghan Mason. McPherson ran into the Mason’s home after heand an accomplice were spotted in a car outside Horizon CUpreparing to rob the credit union when a police patrol spotted thewould-be robbers. The accomplice ran off, only to be caught a shortwhile later. But McPherson took off in the getaway car and crashedit several blocks away, less than 300 feet from the Mason’shome. Several hours later the Masons’ oldest son came homefrom school and found his mother's and sister's bodies. Both hadbeen shot in the head. He called police from a neighbor’shome because they did not have a telephone. Police traced McPhersonfrom the car and captured him in a house a few blocks away from hishome. There they discovered items that tested positive for DNA fromMcPherson and the Masons, including wads of duct tape, and the gunused to kill Nancy and Meghan Mason. McPherson’s 19-year-oldaccomplice, Jamal Martin, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commitarmed robbery and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.