Evansville man found guilty but mentally ill in 3 murders

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A jury has found an Evansville man guilty but mentally ill on three counts of murder for starting a fire that killed a former girlfriend, her daughter and her grandfather.

The Vanderburgh County jury convicted 33-year-old Christopher Compton in the 2014 deaths of 28-year-old Keri Jones, 3-year-old Jazmine Jones, and 76-year-old Donald Lankford in the man's apartment.

Under Indiana law, people found guilty but mentally ill are sentenced as if found guilty, but can be evaluated and recommended for treatment at the Department of Corrections. A judge set sentencing for Tuesday.

Defense attorneys Stephen Owens and Jon Schaefer argued Compton was not guilty by reason of insanity and suffered from low intelligence, substance abuse and multiple mental health problems.

Trial testimony indicated Compton had dated Keri Jones for several years.