Former bar owner convicted on two of three counts of sexual abuse

EVERETT — In the last of four trials on sex crime allegations, a jury found the former owner of the Anchor Pub in Everett guilty of two felonies but could not reach verdict on a third charge Monday.

The 12-person jury deliberated for about eight hours before reaching a verdict.

Christian Sayre was found guilty on two counts of indecent liberties. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the charge of second-degree rape.

Sayre appeared in court in a blue, button-down shirt, black slacks and a striped tie. He showed little emotion as the foreman read the verdict.

Prosecutors are considering retrying Sayre on that charge, Saracino said. Sentencing for all of Sayre’s convictions is scheduled for July 21 and 22.

This trial focused on four women who accused Sayre of sexual misconduct.

During the fourth day of trial, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Millie Judge dismissed one of the original charges, an indecent liberties charge, after defense attorneys argued the state failed to prove the encounter involved “forcible compulsion” because the woman was able to quickly escape the situation.

Deputy prosecutors Kara Van Slyck and Martha Saracino presented the case on behalf of the state. Defense attorneys Piper Salvator and David Roberson represented Sayre.

Sayre has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defense attorneys questioned the credibility of the accusers, suggesting that some of the women had ulterior motives for their testimony.

Prosecutors argued that Sayre assaulted the women during encounters that sometimes began as consensual but escalated into sexual abuse. They said some women tried to stop him or said they were in pain, and one testified she woke up to being assaulted.

Defense attorneys countered with testimony and cross-examination suggesting the encounters were consensual. In one case, they said the accuser stayed at Sayre’s house afterward. In another, they noted the woman returned to the bar. They argued the women’s accounts were not credible.

Monday’s verdict concluded the fourth trial for Sayre in a criminal process that began in August when a judge agreed to separate 18 charges into four trials.

At one point, Sayre faced more than 20 felony counts. In September 2024, the judge dismissed three of those counts. In two cases, the alleged victims didn’t want to testify. Without their testimony, prosecutors couldn’t prove those allegations. On the third count, Van Slyck dropped the charge “due to evidentiary considerations that the State is unable to resolve,” she wrote in court filings.

The latest verdict comes more than three years after Everett police arrested Sayre in the face of numerous abuse allegations.

Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.