St. Petersburg man guilty in murder of young mother

A St. Petersburg man was convicted on Thursday in the murder of Tamika Mack, a 24-year-old mother of two.

Mack was killed on Easter in 2012 when a group of masked men forced their way into the house on 11th Avenue S. where she was staying with a male friend. In their search for drugs and cash, the intruders shot the home's owner, Tore V. Holley, wounding him. They found Mack in a closet and shot her in the head, killing her instantly. Police said it was likely that Mack, who had no criminal record, was an innocent victim caught in the middle of a drug-fueled burglary.

On Thursday, a judge sentenced 24-year-old John Curry IV to life in prison for his involvement in her killing.

This story has been changed to reflect the following correction: Curry was sentenced by a judge. An earlier version of this story was incorrect on that point.