NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk jury on Friday convicted a man accused of killing two women who lived in his Ocean View neighborhood.
Michael Nse Eyo Ebong, 43, was convicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter — reduced charges from his initial second-degree murder indictment — one count of object sexual penetration by force and one count of intercourse victim helpless.
He was arrested last year on charges of rape and sexual assault that were unrelated to the women's deaths.
One woman had complained that Ebong touched her inappropriately while she was working.
Another woman testified in court that they'd met at a bar in Virginia Beach, he offered her a drink, and hours later, she woke up in his Ocean View home feeling sick and disoriented. Then, she said he raped her.
In 2021, when Ebong was taken into custody, Norfolk police officers were already looking into the deaths of Sheena West and Kelsey Paton, both in their 30s.
Both women were found dead in the Hillside Avenue area, near where Ebong lived. Their bodies were discovered months apart. Last July, investigators said they believed drugs played a role in both of the women's deaths.
Police found evidence of "criminal activity" near their bodies, and that led them to arrest Ebong. On January 5, a grand jury indicted him.
Court records show Michael Ebong has a history of violence in Hampton Roads, with charges of Robbery and Sexual Assault in Virginia Beach within the past decade.