For the second time in 31/2 years a Snohomish County Superior Court jury convicted a former Everett man of murder and assault, crimes that will put him behind bars for the rest of his life.
The jury Thursday said that Tronie James Young, 31, was guilty of second-degree murder in the June 2002 shooting death of Nikos Verikokidis, 22, of Everett. The shooting happened during a drug deal that turned into a robbery.
The panel also convicted Young of first-degree assault for shooting a second man during the robbery.
Jeff Curran, then 38, was shot in the head. The bullet bounced off Curran’s skull and he lived to testify against Young.
In addition, jurors also found that Young was a felon who illegally had a pistol in his possession.
Either an assault or murder conviction meant life without the possibility of release for Young under the state’s “three-strikes” law for persistent violent offenders. He got a second trial when the state Court of Appeals in 2005 sent the case back to Snohomish County.
During the first trial, a judge inadvertently told jurors about Young’s previous violent convictions. The appeals court said the judge’s error was grounds for reversing the 2003 murder and assault convictions.
Young has three previous second-degree assault convictions, and the appeals panel said the case was prejudiced when they were mentioned in the 2003 trial.
In the trial that began last week, defense attorney Guss Markwell argued that one of Young’s companions shot Verikokidis and Curran.
Deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson, however, argued that the evidence points directly at Young.
In 2003, a second person who accompanied Young was acquitted by the jury. A third person, Jamal Commis Holmes, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the case. Holmes also testified against Young.
Although Young’s penalty is no mystery, formal sentencing was set for June 5 in front of trial Judge Richard Thorpe. Young is being held without bail.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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