Placentia man who bragged about beating girlfriend in Instagram DMs is convicted of killing …

A 31-year-old Placentia man who admitted to repeatedly slapping his 19-year-old girlfriend and hitting her with a broken pool cue was convicted of murder Tuesday for the 2016 killing. An Orange County Superior Court jury found Nicholas Lee Clark guilty of first-degree murder for the beating death of Madeline Mallory, a killing that Clark acknowledged being responsible for, but which he denied having intended to carry out. Clark acknowledged during his own testimony that his brief but tumultuous relationship with Clark included domestic abuse on his part driven by jealousy. Clark’s own attorney warned jurors at the start of the trial that Clark had committed “abhorrent, unforgivable acts” and acknowledged that they would likely develop a “visceral disdain” for Clark. Photos repeatedly displayed in court showed bruises covering Mallory’s entire body, from head to toe. Her liver was pulverized, causing internal bleeding that led to her death. The doctor who carried out the autopsy testified that the injuries reminded her of those resulting from car crashes. Based on the forensic evidence, Deputy District Attorney Mena Guirguis alleged that Clark punched Mallory multiple times in the face, hit her repeatedly in the torso and at least once on the head with…
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