PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A jury found Jeremy Christian guilty on all charges in the MAX attack that left two people dead and critically wounded a third on May 26, 2017.
Multnomah County Judge Cheryl Albrecht read the verdicts on each charge from the jury and confirmed with the presiding juror that all the verdicts were unanimous.
They deliberated for more than 12 hours before reaching a verdict around 2 p.m. Friday.
Christian, 37, killed Taliesin Namkai-Meche and Ricky Best and critically wounded Micah Fletcher on the Green Line as it pulled into the Hollywood Transit Center late in the afternoon that day.
Prosecutors say Namkai-Meche, Best and Fletcher responded to Christian’s ire that had been directed at two black teen girls — Walia Mohamed and Destinee Mangum — and that Christian viciously stabbed them after confronting him. Christian’s attorneys argued that Fletcher, who had confronted the defendant at a right-wing free speech rally earlier that year, was the one who had instigated the incident and that Christian’s response was that of self-defense.
The sentencing phase, in which the jury will determine Christian’s punishment, is scheduled to start Tuesday, Feb. 25, Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill said in a statement. Christian faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
The charges
Jeremy Christian, 37, killed Taliesin Namkai-Meche and Ricky Best and critically wounded Micah Fletcher on a Green Line as it pulled into the Hollywood Transit Center on May 26, 2017.
He pleaded not guilty on 12 charges: two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, one count of second-degree assault, three counts of second-degree intimidation, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of menacing.
The verdict possibilities
A “guilty” verdict for the murder charges needed to be unanimous — that is, 12-0. For a “not guilty” murder verdict, at least 10 jurors needed to agree, making it a vote of 10-2.
The jury could have found Christian not guilty of first-degree murder and convicted him of a lesser charge, including second-degree murder, manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, according to the instructions from Judge Albrecht.
On all the other charges, a vote of 10-2 — whether guilty or not guilty — is allowed by Oregon law. That is, 10 jurors must agree for a verdict to be rendered on each of those other charges.
In the end, the jury voted 12-0 on all charges, convicting Jeremy Christian of every charge he faced.
Digital enterprise reporter Hannah Ray Lambert covered the Jeremy Christian trial for KOIN 6 News and KOIN.com. Follow her on Twitter for an updated, minute-by-minute breakdown of the proceedings.
Complete KOIN Coverage: The MAX Attack Trial
KOIN 6 News will be in the courtroom each day
and provide updates throughout the case