Accused murderer Dylan McLeod stands to leave the courtroom late Monday after jurors returned a verdict of guilty on three of four counts against him: second-degree murder, first degree robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. McLeod is set to be sentenced at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Medford resident Dylan Suede McLeod was found guilty of second-degree murder on Monday for the death of 24-year-old Aaron Stitt in 2021 after a late-night jury verdict in Jackson County Circuit Court.

McLeod, 26, was one of three former wildland firefighters arrested in 2021 in connection with the Sept. 25, 2021, death of Stitt.

Stitt’s body was found inside the refrigerator of his Royal Avenue apartment after, according to autopsy reports, he died of blunt force trauma.

Monday marked the first day of the second week of the murder trial with one final witness, Dr. James Olson, MD, a forensic pathologist and deputy state medical examiner with Oregon State Police, testifying about the autopsy he performed on Stitt.

Olson testified that Stitt had been struck in his head and face 46 times before his death.

Jurors heard closing remarks from Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert and McLeod’s defense attorney, Andy Simrin, after lunch and began deliberations just after 5 p.m., opting to remain in court until they could reach a verdict, which was announced just after 8 p.m.

The jury found McLeod guilty of three of four charges against him: guilty on counts of second-degree murder, robbery in the first degree and unlawful use of a weapon.

A fourth charge, abuse of a corpse, resulted in a hung jury and did not return a jury vote to substantiate a stated “not guilty” verdict.

McLeod, who declined to testify on his own behalf, stood silently as the verdict was read.

His brother, Austin McLeod, 28, was convicted in 2023 for the murder. Brycen Scofield, 23, pleaded guilty in the murder of Stitt last August. Both Austin McLeod and Scofield have been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years.

Dylan McLeod is set to be sentenced at 9 a.m. Thursday.

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