Brittany Navarra found guilty of first degree murder

MODESTO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Jurors took less than an hour to convict a young Madera woman of murder.

Brittany Navarra was on trial for planning the killing of 18-year-old Krista Pike in 2008. Navarra was just 16 at the time.

Prosecutors say she convinced Dustin Gran to carry out the killing, so she could be with Pike's fianc.

The defense attorney had argued, another girl was really the mastermind, and Navarra only confessed to protect her friend. But the deputy district attorney said text messages and a recorded phone call proved otherwise.

Jury foreperson Linda Suhr said, "The prosecution did a wonderful job and all we wanted to go by was all the facts of the case when we got into the deliberation room we were all in agreement, and that's why it didn't take us long, and we are very happy with our decision."

Navarra is scheduled to return to court next week. That's when a sentencing date will be set. She faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Watch the video for extended coverage from Action News reporter Sara Sandrik.