ORLANDO, Fla.,None — A Florida jury has convicted a millionaire real estate developer of murdering his wife in their mansion, which was part of a wealthy neighborhood where Tiger Woods and other celebrities have homes.
Developer Bob Ward was stoic as the verdict was read Saturday. Before the verdict, he hugged his two college-aged daughters as the women wept.
Ward was found guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his wife, Diane, in September 2009. The slaying happened days before she was to give a deposition in a lawsuit alleging that he blew millions of dollars on big houses and expensive cars while his business failed.
Defense attorneys said that Ward's wife was suicidal, and that he was trying to stop her from killing herself when the gun went off.
The Wards moved from Atlanta, where they had met years before, in 2007, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Ward is an ex-Atlanta Chamber of Commerce board member.
Ward could face up to life in prison.