<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A man has been found guilty of murder after he bludgeoned a romantic rival over the head and threw his body in a river after being spurned by his love interest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-love-triangle-murder-nsw-new-south-wales-crime-news/1eb8cc81-1615-4814-bace-5f38d50e2f30" rel="" target="_blank" title="Gofal Baziad"><span>Gofal Baziad</span></a><span> was convicted of the 2004 murder of Jason Palmer in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday after a jury took five days to be satisfied </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jealous-partner-gofal-baziad-not-guilty-of-jason-palmers-murder-court-told/b8226b85-52a5-482f-8a69-031d7a38ec33" rel="" target="_blank" title="he killed the ex-husband of his love interest"><span>he killed the ex-husband of his love interest</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Palmer told his ex-wife Renny to choose between him and Baziad, and she chose her former husband, the court heard.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ken-paxton-john-cornyn-texas-primary-senate-election-results-james-talarico-us-politics-news/30df77e4-6968-41dd-bdf7-7abe24e83ea3" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump's handpicked candidate may cost his party their most important state</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was later bludgeoned over the head with a patterned glass object before being stabbed multiple times in the torso, side and back in his Sydney apartment in February 2004.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Baziad, now 54, flew overseas months later and continued to be in contact with Palmer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was arrested in 2024 but denied carrying out the murder.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/guilty-verdict-decades-after-love-triangle-murder/e402af46-9da5-40de-b511-7ee950acb190" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jason and Renny Palmer were married in 1996 before separating in 2002 after he had an affair, crown prosecutor Brett Hatfield, SC, told the jury during the trial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In late 2002, she began an intimate relationship with Baziad.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite this history, the two men became friends.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In December 2003, the trio met to discuss the situation and Renny was asked to choose between the two men.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When she opted for former husband, Baziad indicated he accepted the decision, the court heard.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But months later, Jason was seen for the last time walking out of his partner's home in Sydney's south-west with Baziad.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nsw-weather-forecast-flood-risk-emerges-near-record-rainfall-hammers-east-coast/b259b04c-f1f3-4e0a-933f-1a9709260ed4" target="_blank"><strong><span>Flood risk emerges as near-record rainfall hammers east coast</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His body was found just over three weeks later concealed in a sleeping bag and weighed down with rocks in the Nepean River, in the city's west.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the days after her ex-husband disappeared, Palmer said she made numerous attempts to find him, even calling his drug dealer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She also tried speaking to one of her husband's friends, called his parents in England and filed a missing person's report with police.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She broke down in tears in the witness box while describing her efforts to locate her ex-husband.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Renny said Baziad had been late collecting her for work the day after the murder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Baziad's barrister argued there was not enough evidence to convict her client because there were no eyewitnesses and the case was circumstantial.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You won't be able to be positively satisfied of the ultimate question: has the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Baziad was the person responsible?" Madeleine Avenell SC told the jury.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the jurors took just over a week to conclude Baziad was ultimately responsible for Mr Palmer's violent death.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Phillip Boulten thanked the jury for their service on Wednesday before convicting Baziad.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He will return to court for sentencing on July 17.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-victoria-police-arrest-two-people-in-investigation/35985beb-f17a-4cf2-9d64-d52e2a66cdbb" target="_blank"><strong><span>Two men arrested over investigation into fugitive Dezi Freeman are released without charge</span></strong></a></div></div>