Man convicted in fatal stabbing of gas station employee

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) - A man faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole after being convicted in the fatal stabbing of a Battle Creek gas station employee.

The Battle Creek Enquirer reports (http://bcene.ws/16opopW ) Calhoun County Circuit Court jury on Thursday deliberated for about 15 minutes before convicting 31-year-old Shawn Pike of felony murder in the July 23 death of 27-year-old Nicole Gates.

Sentencing has been set for March 9. Authorities say Gates was stabbed 87 times; money, beer, cigarettes and lottery tickets were taken from the Citgo gas station.

The verdict came after both the prosecution and the defense argued for a murder conviction for Pike. Prosecutors sought the felony murder conviction. Defense lawyer Eusebio Solis asked jurors for a second-degree murder conviction, which would have allowed a chance of parole.

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Information from: Battle Creek Enquirer, http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com