Robert Hatch guilty of murder

PROVO — Prosecutor Curtis Larson told jurors Friday that Sharee Hatch's voice echoed from her grave throughout the murder trial of her estranged husband.

Those whispers, Larson said, called Robert Steven Hatch a liar, a burglar and a murderer.

Based on a verdict delivered by jurors Tuesday afternoon, Sharee's cries didn't go unheard.

"Guilty," emphasized court clerk Wendy Warren three times, while reading the verdict.

Jurors took three days to find Hatch guilty of murder, burglary and violating a protective order. Those convictions could mean up to life in prison for Hatch, though formal sentencing will not be determined until a Dec. 23 hearing.

Mixed emotions filled the courtroom as friends and relatives of Sharee Hatch and Robert Hatch reacted to the verdict. Both sides had been constant fixtures at the trial, though opinions differed of Robert Hatch — a man who jurors decided shot his estranged wife at close-range, while her boyfriend, Mike Pino, searched in a nearby closet for protection.

"I feel like justice was done for my sister, Sharee," said a teary Andrea Leek, who testified early in the trial about Robert Hatch's violent past. "She's looking down and she's happy."

Father of the victim, Sarge Nelson, also said he felt positive that the jury had reached the right decision, though their extended deliberation had him worried.

"It didn't take all that for me to figure it out," Nelson said. "But then, I'm the father."

Robert Hatch's family, however, expressed shock as they left the courtroom, refusing to comment on the verdict. A bang shortly rang out from a courtroom elevator where a family member, apparently, had vented some frustration with a kick or a punch.

The noise alerted police officers — a handful of nearly 20 guards and officers assigned to cover Tuesday's proceedings. Two even took sniper positions on the roof due to alleged threats made by an unnamed source.

"There were some concerns that there were some volatile people in attendance," said John Carlson, a Utah County sheriff's deputy.

In the end, however, only tears mixed with joy and sadness disrupted the packed courtroom. Even defense attorney Jack Morgan appeared emotional after the verdict was read.

"I was disappointed in the verdict," Morgan said, "but this jury was very deliberate and I think they took their job very seriously and I think they are to be commended for that."