One Found Guilty of Murder, Another of Robbery in Case of Missing Los Angeles Man

The prosecution charged that Adam Hunt, 31, helped beat Elias Sorokin and Kenneth Clamp, 41, threw his body down a cliff after a botched Santa Cruz robbery attempt.

The seven-woman, five-man jury, however, Tuesday convicted only Clamp of the murder, which carries a maximum life in prison term, while Hunt was found guilty only of robbing marijuana and money from Sorokin.

Sorokin, a Los Angeles entrepreneur was allegedly called to Santa Cruz by a third man, Stewart Skuba, who is charged with murder and will be tried October 3. Skuba reportedly planned to use chloroform to knock out Sorokin and steal 10 pounds of pot from him.

The attempt failed, according to prosecutor Robert Wade, and Skuba and Hunt allegedly beat him unconscious instead.

Then Hunt left and, according to the prosecutor, Clamp arrived to dispose of the body.

The jury wasn't convinced by evidence that Hunt was responsible for the murder. It heard testimony that people in the house, rented by Skuba's girlfriend and her family, heard the sounds of a fight and saw blood in the garage.

However, even though the prosecutor told them that knowing about the crime, planning the crime or covering it up could merit the murder charge, they didn't agree.

At 3 p.m. Santa Cruz District Attorney Bob Lee was called to the stand and gave evidence that Clamp had been convicted on two counts of robbery and assault with a knife, for which he served 10 years in prison.

That led to a possible three-strikes enhancement, to be ruled on when Judge Paul Marigonda sentences Clamp in November. He can get a minimum of 25 years to life. With the enhancements he will probably never leave prison, said the prosecutor, Wade.

Hunt can get a maximum of five years in prison for his part in the robbery.