Former Highway Patrolman convicted of murder

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) - A former California Highway Patrol officer turned strip club owner was convicted of arranging the machine gun murder of his business partner.

Michael Woods, 59, faces life in prison without parole when he is sentenced later this month for the 1989 killing of Horace McKenna, who was shot to death at his Brea estate. Jurors deliberated for three days before finding him guilty on Friday.

Woods and McKenna worked for the Highway Patrol in the early 1970s and later became partners in Los Angeles area strip clubs.

Prosecutors contend Woods arranged the killing in order to take over the lucrative business, paying $50,000 to David Amos, who later hired John Patrick Sheridan to do the job.

Amos and Sheridan pleaded guilty to manslaughter and are expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison in exchange for cooperating with authorities.