There’s no dispute that a tragedy occurred in the parking lot of a popular Island Crossing restaurant in the early hours of July 21.
Shawn Tuohy, 23, of Darrington was found face down suffering from a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head. The shot had been fired by Matthew Steven Young, 21, of Newport in northeast Washington.
What’s in question is whether the death was the result of a drug robbery that went awry or whether Young shot Tuohy in defense of a friend who had done something stupid.
That’s what a Snohomish County Superior Court jury of seven men and five women is trying to sort out following more than the two-week trial of Young, who is accused of first-degree murder.
Lawyers gave their closing arguments Tuesday, and the jury deliberated through the afternoon. The panel will return this morning to continue deliberations in Judge George Bowden’s courtroom.
Deputy prosecutor Helene Blume told jurors there was only one question: "Is he legally responsible for the death?"
She said he is.
The state alleges that Matthew Young; his father, Daniel Lawrence Young, 46; and the younger man’s best friend, Bryce William Howe, 19, schemed to set up a drug deal with Tuohy and then planned to rob him of about $1,100 he was supposed to bring to buy the powerful painkiller OxyContin.
The defense claims Matthew Young was defending his best friend, Howe.
Blume portrayed Matthew Young as a drug dealer in his hometown. He agreed to drive to Western Washington to make a deal so his drug reputation wouldn’t be tarnished in his hometown when a buyer was robbed.
He borrowed a Glock 9mm semiautomatic pistol, loaded a shotgun and had a ski mask in the trunk of Daniel Young’s Cadillac.
"It’s real clear Matt Young was in charge of this operation," Blume told jurors.
Howe, who testified against his friend, came out of the bushes at the edge of the parking lot and smacked Tuohy on the head with a 12-inch wrench. The plan was to knock him out and pretend they all had been robbed, Blume said.
But the blow failed to disable Tuohy, who began wrestling with Howe. He gave Howe a few dollars, then went to get his own gun when Howe took off running.
Blume alleged that when Tuohy fired at the fleeing Howe, Matt Young shot Tuohy in the head.
"They were all caught up in something they shouldn’t have been doing," Blume said.
The dusty trunk lid of the Cadillac was brought into the courtroom as evidence. Blume said there’s a crude diagram of the area near the Denny’s restaurant, apparently drawn as the three planned the robbery.
She called it a "very damning piece of evidence," indicating that all three were involved in the heist.
Pete Mazzone, Matthew Young’s defense attorney, told jurors he was not impressed with the investigation by sheriff’s detectives. He called the probe a combination of Angela Lansbury, Quincy and Sherlock Holmes, "with a little Super Cop thrown in."
The state’s case is based on speculation and the testimony of Howe, who could shave off a decade or two of prison time by pleading guilty to a lesser charge and agreeing to testify, Mazzone said.
He argued that the Youngs took no part in the robbery and Howe acted on his own. A key factor will be whether the jury believes Howe or Matthew Young, Mazzone said.
When Matthew Young saw Tuohy shooting at his best friend, "he had no alternative than to do what he did" to save Howe’s life, Mazzone told jurors.
"If it was my best friend, I know what would be going on inside of me," Mazzone said.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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