Janepsy Carballo found guilty in murder of late husband's business partner

Carballo convicted in 2008 shooting death of Ilam Nissim

MIAMI – A South Florida woman accused of killing the man she believed killed her husband was found guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the 12 men and woman who make up the jury in the Janepsy Carballo murder trial delivered a note to the judge saying they were 11-1 in favor of the first-degree murder charge and asked the judge, "Where do we go from here?"

The jurors were instructed to continue deliberating, and that's just what they did.

"There's no joy for anybody," prosecutor Abbe Rifkin said of the verdict. "We've got a man who's dead. We've got a woman whose life is basically over."

Carballo's attorney told Local 10 News he was hopeful that a mistrial would be declared.

"We were hoping that whoever the juror was who was holding out was going to stand strong and stick by his or her gumption and beliefs, but apparently that juror may have caved in," attorney Bruce Fleisher said.

Carballo was immediately sentenced to life in prison, handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.

The North Miami widow was accused of fatally shooting her husband's business partner.

Orlando Mesa was shot to death outside the couple's home in 2008. At the time, he was holding their 20-month old son, who was grazed by one of the bullets.

A month later, Carballo shot Ilan Nissim inside her house. Her attorneys claim he showed up unexpectedly and threatened Carballo, ripping her blouse and reaching for what she believed was a gun. It turned out there was no weapon.

The trial centered on whether Carballo shot and killed Nissim as an act of revenge or if she shot him in self-defense.

Carballo's defense team said they plan to appeal her conviction.

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About the Author:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.