The men who repeatedly raped a 25-year-old woman, killed a man and wounded another in a rampage last year took pictures of each other, posing with their shotguns during the episode.
"The pictures were meant to be a trophy of their adventure," said Assistant District Attorney Michael McGovern. "This type of barbaric, brutal conduct is difficult to understand."
Most of the photos were destroyed, but one was available for use at the trial of six men before Common Pleas Judge Carolyn E. Temin.
Yesterday, the judge convicted four of the attackers of first-degree murder, and two others of conspiracy, robbery and related charges. Sentences were deferred.
Found guilty of murder were Vernon Robinson, 20, and Virgil Shaw, 18, both of Sergeant Street near 23rd, and David Williams, 22, and his brother, Edward, 21, both of Harold Street near 21st.
Convicted of the lesser offenses for being "lookouts" were Karey Morris, 18, of Price Street near Ardleigh, and Germero Roberts, 19, of Oakdale Street near 23rd.
The leader of the gang, John "Big" Butler, 21, is serving a life prison term after pleading guilty in the same case. He admitted being the triggerman in the May 17, 1991, drug-related killing of Gerald Lee, 36, and the wounding of Lee's friend, Kip Rozier, 21.
The rape victim and Rozier told a tale of horror to the judge.
They said Butler and his thugs came to abduct Lee from his home on 24th Street near York, and decided to take them along too. As guns were pointed at them, the three were forced to walk to the rear of Murrell Dobbins Vocational Technical High, 22nd Street and Lehigh Avenue.
Once they were behind the school, the woman said, she was raped by each of the men.
She said the men were laughing while taking pictures of themselves.
Finally, she said, Butler grabbed Lee by his collar and shot him in the head. Then he turned to Rozier, who testified that he was shot in the face.
Despite his wound, Rozier said, he saw one of the men fire a shot at the woman, who was running away.
