LARNED ? A jury needed little more than an hour to convict a Mexican man of killing his wife, her father and the slain woman’s boyfriend.

Martin Vasquez-Arroyo, 43, was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder in the 1998 shooting deaths of Robin Vasquez; her father, Howard Franks; and Thomas Dinkel.

Prosecutors believe all three were shot in the head on Dec. 11, 1998, at Robin Vasquez’s home in Kinsley. Their bodies were found two days later.

The verdict came Friday in Pawnee County District Court, where the trial was moved because of extensive publicity in Edwards County.

There was no eyewitness testimony, but prosecutors laid out a circumstantial case that included testimony about Vasquez-Arroyo’s behavior leading up to the killings and the fact that the murder weapon had been stolen from Vasquez-Arroyo’s former employer.

Vasquez-Arroyo said he went to the house, hoping to say goodbye before his pending divorce, but found it empty. He returned to Mexico after the killings, which shook small, largely rural Edwards County. He was extradited to the United States in October from his family’s farm in the state of Durango in Mexico.

“This has been a long time coming for our community,” said Edwards County Atty. Mark Frame, who prosecuted the case along with state Assistant Atty. Gen. John Bork. “This brings closure to the community.”

Vasquez-Arroyo also was convicted of one felony count each of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and theft and two counts of misdemeanor theft. No sentencing date has been set.