Man convicted of killing neighbor over debt
Published: September 16, 2009
My Town Common: West Warwick News and Views
WARWICK, R.I.—A West Warwick man was found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of a neighbor over a $510 debt.
Robert Payette was found guilty on Tuesday of fatally stabbing 66-year-old Ronald Dufour in November 2007 in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Prosecutors said Payette, 47, and his girlfriend invited Dufour over for dinner to discuss the debt he owed the woman.
Investigators said the men got into a fight over the debt and that Payette stabbed Dufour seven times with a steak knife he took outside for protection. He tried to hide the body in some nearby woods.
Defense attorneys said Payette acted in self-defense after Dufour initiated the fight.
Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20. First-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence.
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