The victim of the 2018 crime, Raymond Wright, was involved in a collision with one of the 2 California men, Robert Manor, and his wife in 2011, leaving the couple with severe injuries, the Sacramento DA’s office said.
Two California men have been convicted of the kidnapping and murder of a 2018 missing man that was believed to be committed out of revenge.
Robert Manor and Victor Merle Gray were found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping for ransom on Friday by a Sacramento County jury, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors referred to the case as a revenge plot. In 2011, the victim, Raymond Wright, got into a collision with Manor and his wife, who suffered severe injuries due to the crash, the DA’s office said.
Wright was under the influence when the crash occurred and served time in prison in addition to completing probation for the incident, but Manor held a grudge against Wright for many years, the DA’s office said.
In January 2018, Wright disappeared and his body has never been found, said the DA’s office. Shortly after he went missing, Wright's brother encountered a man in the victim's home who was found to have left behind a drink with a straw, which later was tested for DNA that matched Gray.
Evidence found in Gray’s vehicle, including Wright’s wallet and a raincoat with his blood on it, also linked Gray to the victim, said the DA’S office. Authorities also found a note tying Manor to the disappearance.
The note that was found was from Gray to Manor “complaining about not being paid for ‘delivering dude’ and asking Manor to take care of the person ‘who hand delivered you your revenge,’” according to the DA’s office.
Both Manor and Gray are to be sentenced on April 28, where they are facing a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole for the kidnapping and murder, the DA’s office said.
