Anti-Gang Mom Guilty Of Hit Murder

A jury on Wednesday night found a 41-year-old woman guilty of aggravated murder for arranging the city’s first gang killing.

Mary Louise Thompson was convicted in a case involving teenagers she came to know through her efforts to prevent young people from joining gangs.

Prosecutors said Thompson had persuaded two of the youths to kill Aaron Iturra, 18, on Oct. 3, 1994.

Jury deliberations began late Wednesday afternoon.

Prosecutors said Iturra was shot to death after Thompson became outraged by his decision to testify against her son in a juvenile court assault case.

Eight teenagers testified against Thompson, who had tearfully denied the accusations on the witness stand.

At the time of the murder, Thompson was known as an anti-gang activist. She served on a gang prevention task force and volunteered as a youth mentor.