What the... Last week in Torrance, California, a man was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for killing a businessman who laughed at him when the pastrami fell out of his sandwich: Southern California man killed New Jersey man for laughing at pastrami sandwich.
26-year-old Ronald Eugene Murray II was facing second-degree murder for killing 56-year-old New Jersey businessman Mun Jang in an October 2011 donut shop incident. Murray punched and kicked Jang so hard -- including a fatal blow to the head -- that Jang died in a hospital two days later.
The whole incident was sparked by a pastrami sandwich. Neither man knew each other, but both happened to be at Donut King that morning. Jang apparently laughed when he saw Murray take a bite out of his sandwich, and some of the meat fell out. That's when Murray lost it and took out his rage on Jang:
Jang laughed, angering Murray, who snapped, "Who you laughing at?" He became even more upset when the clerk behind the glass refused his request for another sandwich at half-price, Turk said.Rage, man. The jury didn't buy the self-defense argument, but didn't believe Murray intended to commit murder. He could have face 15 years to life, but will now be sentenced to a maximum of 11 years in prison. All this over a damn sandwich. More here: Ronald Eugene Murray II Killed Mun Jang For Laughing At The Way He Ate Sandwich.
"The real focus of his anger were the people who would not give him a sandwich," Turk said. "The only person he could take his rage out on was the victim."
Prosecutors said Murray sucker-punched Jang and then punched him repeatedly, inflicting the fatal blow with a kick to the head while Jang was on the ground. He then threw the sandwich so hard into Jang's head that mayonnaise and lettuce stuck in his ear.
Some of the crime was caught on video.
Testifying on his own behalf, Murray said he wasn't trying to hurt Jang. He said he acted in self-defense after he slipped on the sandwich meat and fell to the ground. Jang, Murray testified, stood over him with a fist, so he protected himself by fighting back, Turk said.
