NORFOLK, Va. — A federal jury in Virginia has convicted three Somalis on murder, piracy and other charges stemming from a yacht hijacking that left four Americans dead.
Court records show that the jury found Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar guilty on all 26 counts against them. Twenty-two counts are death-eligible offenses.
Jurors issued their verdict Monday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk.
The charges stemmed from the hijacking of the yacht Quest in February 2011. The yacht's owners, Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, Calif., and their friends, Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle, were shot to death after they were taken hostage at sea.
Eleven other defendants have already pleaded guilty to piracy and have been sentenced to life in prison.
