BREAKING UPDATE: 5:25 p.m.: It was hard for the family of Melissa Barto to contain their cheers and tears of joy on Friday as Judge William Shaffer found Ishemer Ramsey of killing his girlfriend two years ago.

“Did you kill Melissa Barto?” Ishemer Ramsey’s lawyer, Christopher Capozzi, asked Ramsey on the fourth and final day of his murder trial

“No, I did not,” Ramsey responded.

But Shaffer, presiding over the non jury trial, disagreed, finding Ramsey guilty of first degree homicide, abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence, conspiracy to tamper with evidence and conspiracy abuse of corpse.

Prosecutors dropped one count of conspiracy criminal homicide and hindering apprehension. Assistant District Attorney Terri Schutlz, prosecuting the case, determined during the trial that those two charges weren’t appropriate for the crime.

Capozzi called Ramsey to the stand on Friday in an unexpected move to convince Shaffer that Ramsey didn’t kill Barto. Ramsey took the stand in front of a courtroom packed with Barto’s family members and a sprinkling of Ramsey’s family.

Ramsey testified under Capozzi’s questioning that on the day of June 8, 2017 he and Barto were arguing because Ramsey wanted to break up with Barto.

While on the stand, Ramsey admitted to the other charges he faces, which include hindering apprehension, misdemeanor abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and conspiracy charges, but not to Barto’s actual death. Instead, he claimed she committed suicide.

Ramsey also claims he didn’t report Barto’s death and tried to cover it up because he thought that as a black man he wouldn’t be believed.

He calls his actions “frankly, abominations.

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