A San Luis Obispo county man was convicted of first-degree murder and mutilation of human remains, District Attorney Dan Dow announced Wednesday.
A jury found 44-year-old Marco Antonio Cota, Jr. guilty of killing 64-year-old Rick Fowler in Nov. 2021.
During the trial, jurors heard evidence about the events that occurred in the Bianchi Open Space area in San Luis Obispo.
Officials said Cota and Fowler were in an argument prior to the attack. Cota then followed Fowler to Fowler's campsite, where he attacked and beat him to death.
Cota then pierced Fowler's body with several sticks, according to the press release.
Officials noted that Cota had three prior "strikes" convictions under California's Three Strikes Law. He was convicted of robbery in Tulare County in 1998. He was later convicted of criminal threats in 2014 and assault with a deadly weapon in 2016, both in San Luis Obispo County.
Cota is set to be sentenced on March 11 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
