Local News in Brief : North Hollywood Man Guilty in Slaying Over Leaky Bathtub

A North Hollywood man was convicted Wednesday of killing his apartment manager’s son during an argument over a leaky bathtub.

A San Fernando Superior Court jury found Carl Wendall Garner, 50, guilty of second-degree murder for the June, 1985, shooting death of Michael Palmer, 41, of Hollywood.

Palmer was shot five times outside his mother’s apartment after a dispute over repairs to a cracked bathtub in Garner’s Tiara Street apartment.

Several witnesses testified that Palmer was unarmed when he was first shot in the back, then at point-blank range. After firing each of the last two shots, Garner asked the dying man, “How do you like that?” according to testimony.

Garner was allowed to represent himself during pretrial motions, but Judge Howard J. Schwab assigned him an attorney because of Garner’s repeated outbursts and interference with courtroom procedure, Deputy Dist. Atty. Kenneth A. Loveman said.

Garner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Alan Budde, argued that his client should be found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter because the shooting was not premeditated.

After Judge Ronald S. W. Lew dismissed the jury, Garner complained about the “horrendous proceedings” and said his attorney failed to represent him properly.

Garner could receive from 17 years to life in prison when he is sentenced Nov. 12.