Jury convicts woman in bicyclist's hit-and-run death

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Jurors have convicted a 35-year-old woman who struck a bicyclist with her car and took off without helping the victim, who eventually died.

The jury found 35-year-old Margaret Mayer guilty of failure to stop and render aid late Wednesday afternoon. It took them only about an hour of deliberation to reach a decision.

Mayer was on trial for the death of 24-year-old Chelsea Norman. Last December, Norman had just left the Montrose area Whole Foods when Mayer Allegedly hit her.

On Wednesday, jurors saw the crumpled up bicycle, and they also heard closing statements from both the prosecutor and the defense. Prosecutors say Mayer tried to fix her truck, and covered up evidence. The defense said the paint chips found on the bike do not match that of Mayer's vehicle.

Mayer now faces up to 20 years behind bars.

"I don't care what the sentence length is. But take a look at it this way: We're talking about ending a human life, it happens to be my daughter; but it's up to the society here, these jurors here, to figure out what my daughter's life is worth when it comes to somebody's inconvenience for the next two to 20 years," Norman's dad, Randy Norman, said.

Prosecutors have not yet decided how many years it will ask the jury to give Mayer. The sentencing phase of the trial is expected to start Thursday.