MACOMB (WWJ/AP) - A man accused of killing and dismembering his father who was a former Macomb County judge has been acquitted of murder.
Jurors in West Palm Beach, Florida found 50-year-old James "Jimmy" Scandirito II guilty of abuse of a corpse, but not guilty of first-degree murder.
Authorities say Scandirito killed and dismembered his father, James "Skip" Scandirito, in March 2018 for inheritance money.
Scandirito initially claimed his 74-year-old father hadn't returned from a kayaking trip, but police found the body parts after following him to an abandoned golf club in Boca Raton. He then changed his story, testifying that he found his father dead from an apparent drug overdose, then used a saw to cut up and hide the body because he was afraid.
Medical examiners were unable to determine a cause of death because not all of the remains were recovered. Reports indicate Scandirito Sr.'s head, arms and parts of his legs were never found.
Scandirito faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced June 21.
In a written statement, obtained by The Palm Beach Post, the Scandirito family said they were disappointed with the outcome of the trial.
"The defendant in this case who we do not even consider a member of this family was acquitted of a murder charge today. All he had to do to be acquitted of a murder charge was hide the body parts of his own father. The family is not okay with this," the statement read. "The defense made a joke of this case. ... Justice has not been served."
The elder Scandirito, who served as a district judge in Harrison Township, resigned from office in 2000 on allegations he offered five women leniency in exchange for sexual favors.
