There is an update to the tragic murder of Don Belton, the distinguished Black gay writer and beloved Indiana University professor who was brutally stabbed to death in December 2009. Michael J. Griffin, the 26-year-old former Marine who admitted to killing the English professor, has plead not guilty and claimed the slender, 53-year-old academic "sexually assaulted" him.
Griffin's trial began earlier this week in Bloomington. The jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday.
A Monroe County Circuit Court jury late Thursday found Michael Griffin guilty of murder, deciding that he intended to kill Don Belton when he stabbed him 22 times in December 2009. The verdict came after about 12 hours of deliberations. The 26-year-old faces 45 to 65 years in prison when sentenced.
Griffin testified Wednesday that he didn't remember stabbing the 53-year-old Belton. Jurors could have convicted him of the lesser voluntary manslaughter if they found the killing was committed in the heat of anger.
The body of Don Belton was discovered on December 28 2009. Griffin told investigators Belton sexually assaulted him twice on Christmas Day in front of his girlfriend. Griffrin claimed he returned two days later seeking an "apology."
In 2010, it appeared that Griffin was building a "gay panic" defense. Bloomington Police told ABCNews.com that police 'really don't know' if the incident on Christmas Day was consensual or not.
Prior to arriving at IU Bloomington in 2008, Belton formerly taught at the University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania and lectured at the Sorbonne, among other places. Belton also wrote for Newsweek and The Advocate and edited Speak My Name, an critically-acclaimed anthology of essays on black masculinity.
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I'm very, very glad that the jury man rejected this man's homophobic defense and convicted him Don's murder. He took from the world a beautiful, talented human being. He deserves to molder in jail for the rest of his life.
Posted by: jstheater | 15 April 2011 at 14:03
Don was great at telling stories. Don and I both grew up in North Philadelphia, but you'd never know it when hearing Don's always correct English and beautiful speaking voice. I missed him when he left Philly for the last time. He always kept me laughing.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | 15 April 2011 at 15:09
Thank you Rod for this update. This has been on my mind for the last month.
I am so glad the gay panic defense didn't go through. I am so tired of our lgbt community being abused and killed, then told it was our fault. It is usually 1 gay and 5 thugs. Yet it is said it was the 1 gay who started it and scared the 5 thugs. And then it takes 5 thugs to beat/kill 1 gay. They can't have it both ways. We can't be weak little girly men, and yet scare the hell out of grown a** thugs.
I hope other people and juries start coming to that realization, and start rejecting the big, bad effeminate, girly man scaring the 6'4 marine, gangster, wife beating, drug dealing, chain carrying thug.
Posted by: Diva1961 | 15 April 2011 at 19:05
Don Belton was my professor at Temple a few years back. He was a lovely man and I'm glad that justice was served today.
Posted by: Ealan75 | 15 April 2011 at 19:16
Another coward busted for what he really is. How gratifying! BTW: Rod, I am so glad that you are back in the saddle! You keep me from slitting my wrist as this boring a$$ job!
Stay well!
Posted by: Distant Lover | 15 April 2011 at 21:54
Even in Indiana, the Midwestern capital of the KKK, they didn’t buy the alibi of this sweet all-American boy.
It’s probably a good thing, though, that this trial was in Bloomington.
Posted by: Jim | 16 April 2011 at 01:42
Justice is served!
Posted by: DBarr | 19 April 2011 at 07:37