The former mixed martial arts fighter who legally changed his name to War Machine has been found guilty of 29 out of 34 charges stemming from an attack on his porn star girlfriend and the man he caught in bed with her. The jury was hung when it came to the two attempted murder charges, and they found War Machine not guilty of burglary, coercion, and battery with intent to commit sexual assault.
That decision came just seconds ago from a jury in Las Vegas.
War Machine faced 34 counts in total, including seven “Class A” felonies which carry the most severe punishments.
jonathan Koppenhaver aka War Machine. AP Photo/John Locher
During closing arguments, the defense conceded that War Machine was guilty of five counts of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm constituting domestic violence, carrying a minimum one-year sentence. The defense also conceded guilt on three counts of battery with a deadly weapon constituting domestic violence, carrying a minimum two-year sentence.
Christine Mackinday, known professionally as “Christy Mack” in the adult film industry, was injured by War Machine, the defense conceded, in the face, eye, nose, mouth, teeth, leg, ribs, and abdomen. The defense also conceded that a deadly weapon, a kitchen knife, was used to threaten Mack through pokes to the hand, ear, and head or hair.
Corey Thomas, the man Christy Mack been dating for two months and with whom she was becoming increasingly serious, was also injured.
War Machine, formerly known as Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver, had also admitted to the attack from behind bars through Twitter messages attributed to him and posted on his account. In the posts, which were not presented as evidence in the case, War Machine admitted making “poor choices” after seeing the woman he loved in bed with someone else, but the post argued that the prosecutor had sought to create a “media circus” by charging him with a litany of serious felonies he believed were too severe for what occurred.
