A 32-year-old man was convicted of first-degree murder and attempted murder for a second time Friday in the shooting death of the owner of the Clinton Township company where he worked and a co-worker.

A Macomb County Circuit Court jury deliberated about 6-½ hours over two days before convicting Jerry Motley of the charges for the 2018 fatal shooting of Thomas Badke, 61, owner of the now-defunct Reliable Fence Co., in the head during a struggle over Motley’s handgun after he had shot and wounded co-worker Angelo “Joe” Micale, 36 at the time.

The jury’s verdict followed a three-week trial.

Motley is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 7 by circuit Judge Matthew Sabaugh, who presided over the jury trial.

It is the second time Motley has been convicted of the charges for the Jan. 9, 2018 incident. His 2019 convictions were reversed by Macomb Circuit Court Judge Matthew Sabaugh on the basis of the prior defense attorney’s ineffectiveness in executing an insanity defense.

Motley observed the proceedings from the county jail after he was removed for disrupting the proceedings at the start of the trial early this month.For the second trial, defense attorney Robbie Lang argued for a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity but also contended the shooting of Badke was accidental because it occurred during a struggle with Badke, Badke’s son, John, and employee Jeff Wilde, Motley’s best friend. The struggle took place in the office after Motley shot Micale in the back in a hallway.

Lang said he was disappointed the jury convicted Motley of murder in Badke’s shooting. The verdict should have been manslaughter instead of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison without parole, he said. DNA and other evidence supported his argument, he added.

“I thought it was very clear from the physical evidence and some of the testimony, regardless of Mr. Motley’s intent when he walked into that office, that the shooting of Mr. Badke ended up being accidental,” Lang said. “The gun went off during the struggle between Mr. Badke, his son John and (Wilde).

“Mr. Badke’s son testified they all went up against the desk to the point where the desk was kind of lifted up and the drawers came out. Blood was all over the desk. A shell casing was found on the other side of the desk. My client’s glasses were found on the desk. And the DNA evidence showed there were two other male contributors’ DNA on the gun, particularly on the trigger of the gun, which could only could have been from the two people who were struggling to get the gun away from Mr. Motley.”

Motley’s DNA was found on the gun handle, not the trigger, he noted.

He said Dr. Daniel Spitz, the former Macomb County medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, agreed the evidence “was consistent with him being shot on the desk.”

However, he understands Motley’s incriminating statements showing a lack of remorse after the shooting likely cemented his fate. He said he also appreciates the jurors for taking their time in mulling the case.

Motley’s motive was his revenge for racial bullying by Micale and other employees. Motley, the only Black employee at the small company, blamed Tom Badke for not stopping it, although Badke had separated Micale and Motley by placing them on different work crews.

Lang conceded Motley was a very poor worker who was criticized for his performance.

Just before the shootings, Motley posted a “manifesto” on Facebook in which he was “airing all of his grievances, all his slights, both perceived and real” by his co-workers at Reliable Fence, as noted by Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Richard Nelson, who prosecuted the case.

Motley went on Facebook live on his way into work talking in past tense about what he planned to do and said he believed he would be fatally shot by police.

In the video, an angry Motley vents about his workplace.

“They did this outrageous bull s—,” claims he was the lowest-paid employee even though all laborers were paid the same wage, and concludes by saying how workers made him feel bad. He was slated to receive a raise soon.

“You think money is the power of everything, but weapons are the power of everything,” he says in the video.

“This is the end,” Motley says as he gets out of his car in the company parking lot.

After the shootings, Motley fled in his vehicle, crashed about three miles away in Fraser and fled on foot before he was apprehended.

Motley showed no remorse when he was arrested by police.

“F— that place, f— them,” he says in a recording of him in the back of a police vehicle.

Motley had a recorded IQ of 72, was in special education in East Detroit Public Schools and earned a certificate from the Macomb Academy Life Skills for the Intellectually Disabled. He was born to a drug-addicted mother and placed in foster care at 6 after he witnessed his mother stab someone, Lang said. He bounced around in foster homes, where he was abused in some of them, and at 13 found a permanent home with a loving family, he said. After he turned 18, his foster mother was his guardian from 2011 to 2016, according to Macomb Probate Court records.

Nelson also noted the Badke family had treated Motley well after accepting him as a family friend through Wilde. Motley attended several holiday gatherings with the Badke family.