Photos courtesy of Benjamin Brayfield/The World
In a ten to two vote the jury found Nicholas McGuffin guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter in the 2000 death of Leah Freeman. McGuffin is reported to have leapt several inches above his chair when the verdict was read.
UPDATE: In Oregon, Manslaughter 1 carries a minimum sentence of ten years Coquille PD vehicles are parked all around the courthouse and I understand they lined the walls of the courtroom to hear the verdict. They did a good job of bringing some closure to this case.
The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict, with ten in favor and two unconvinced, so it had to settle on the lesser charge of manslaughter which requires a minimum of ten jurors to agree.
Peace be upon you, Leah, and your family
