Jury finds murder suspects guilty in robbery

Friday, January 7th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Two men face a lifetime behind bars for their federal convictions in a Tulsa crime spree even before they are tried on murder counts, prosecutors say. Victor Cornell Miller, 36, and George John Hanson, 35, are looking at "life in prison without parole many times over" after being found guilty on robbery and firearms counts Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Woodward said.

The jury did not hear the murder accusations against the two in the slayings of Mary Agnes Bowles, 71, a retired banker, and Jerald Thurman, 44, an Owasso trucking company owner who apparently tried to come to her aid. Arraignment on those charges is set in Tulsa County District Court on March 7.

The federal jury found Miller and Hanson guilty of collaborating during the Aug. 21 armed robbery of Neighborhood Liquor, the Aug. 23 armed robbery of Apache Liquor and the Sept. 3 armed robbery of Dreamland Video. The pair were also convicted of possessing firearms during those heists.

Miller alone was convicted of June and August robberies of a liquor store and a smoke shop. Both also were convicted in the Sept. 8 robbery of the Tulsa Federal Employees Credit Union. The day after that robbery Hanson and Miller were captured in Muskogee. District Attorney Tim Harris said Thursday that he will pursue the murder case but has yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty.