N. Ind. man convicted in killings of 2 men

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A northern Indiana man has been convicted in the killings of two men and for shooting at police officers and passing motorists.

A St. Joseph County Superior Court judge found 29-year-old Brandon Biffle guilty Thursday of two counts of murder for fatally shooting 55-year-old Donald Paris and 53-year-old Johnnie Avance in South Bend last August.

Biffle was also convicted following the bench trial of attempted murder and criminal recklessness for shooting at police and passing motorists. Biffle was wounded in when he exchanged gunfire with police.

The judge also found Biffle fully responsible for his crimes. The South Bend Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/ZNSFln ) Biffle's attorney had argued that he is mentally ill and not responsible for the crimes, while prosecutors had argued Biffle tried to fake a mental illness.

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Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com