Man who killed girlfriend faces at least 40 years in prison

Tuesday, April 7, 1998 | 9:49 a.m.

James Cross, who shot his live-in girlfriend to death and then fired on a police officer before being shot himself, will be sentenced on May 12 to at least 40 years in prison.

Cross, 26, was convicted last week of killing 18-year-old Kathleen Delores Melchor by a jury that deliberated only a half hour in District Judge Donald Mosley's courtroom.

Melchor died in October 1996 inside her apartment at 2270 N. Lamb Blvd. from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Cross was headed to his parents' home at 137 Sir Noble with Melchor's young daughter after the incident and exchanged gunfire with Officer Dennis Durfey, 32, who testified at the trial that he saw a speeding car and pursued it.

Cross fired more than four shots before he was hit twice in the torso by Durfey's bullets.

Neither the girl nor the officer was injured.

Despite his injuries, Cross managed to run inside the house where he was arrested.

Deputy District Attorney David Schwartz agreed after the trial that Cross could be sentenced to the lightest penalty for murder -- life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. Because a gun was used, the sentence automatically doubles.

Schwartz, however, reserved the right to argue that Cross should be given additional prison time for attempting to murder Durfey.

Mosley could add two to 40 years onto the sentence that will keep Cross behind bars until he is 65 years old.