Onstott found guilty of second-degree murder

TAMPA -- Twelve jurors have found David Lee Onstott guilty of second-degree murder in the death of a 13-year-old Ruskin girl.

Onstott was accused of killing Sarah Lunde in April 2005. No physical evidence or eyewitnesses tied him to the case. Onstott seemed to incriminate himself in multiple statements. He was charged with first-degree murder, but jurors convicted of him a lesser charge.

The jury also found Onstott, 40, guilty of battery. He originally was charged with attempted sexual battery.

Jurors deliberated for nearly 13 hours over two days. They reached a verdict about 5 p.m. today.

Before the verdict was read, the courtroom filled with prosecutors and public defenders. Hillborough State Attorney Mark Ober and Public Defender Julianne Holt both were there.

Onstott will be sentenced at 10 a.m. Friday.

After the verdict, Sarah's mother was relieved.

"It's over," she said.

She said she almost passed out before the clerk read the verdict.

"I hope that every day he wakes up it's the same hell that we've gone through for the last three years," she added. "Every day."

-- Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer

[Photo: Melissa Lyttle, Times]