The jury has delivered its verdict in the murder trial involving the brutal killing of a Wendy’s employee.The jury found Dominique Isaac Harris, a 31-year-old Philadelphia resident, guilty of first-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime. Harris was convicted for the brutal murder of his ex-colleague from Wendy’s, Michael Pickens.
During the trial that spanned four days, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kristin McElroy presented evidence that Harris had been dismissed from Wendy’s two months prior due to a disagreement with Pickens.
DA McElroy recounted how Harris caught Pickens off-guard outside the restaurant while he was finishing his shift and taking out the trash. Harris stabbed Pickens a total of 46 times, with more than half of the wounds to the head and neck area. Despite his efforts to fight back, Pickens didn’t survive.
After attacking Pickens, Harris initially fled the scene but later returned in his car and ran over Pickens twice in the parking lot. He then placed Pickens’ body in the backseat of his car and discarded it several miles away.
Security footage captured Harris pursuing Pickens and stabbing him multiple times with a knife in the parking lot. This evidence led to Harris’ arrest within a day of the incident.
Investigators found that Harris owned a car with the same make and model used in the attack. Philadelphia police subsequently stopped the vehicle, noting blood on the exterior and a considerable amount of blood in the backseat. Though the victim’s body was not found at that time, Harris was taken into custody that night. The next morning, Bensalem police discovered Pickens’ body near a train station, concealed by a jacket Harris had worn during the assault.
The prosecution argued that Harris’s actions demonstrated a premeditated and deliberate intent to murder Pickens, as he had carefully planned and executed a brutal, targeted attack.
Following roughly two hours of deliberation, the Bucks County jury convicted Harris. Sentencing will take place at a later date.
