A Snohomish County Superior Court jury Thursday acquitted a Marysville man of manslaughter for causing fatal injuries to a longtime rival on July 11.
The jury, however, could not reach a unanimous verdict on a second charge of second-degree murder, and there’s a possibility Randall Eugene Henry, 39, could face trial again.
Both charges were filed in connection with the death of Albert John Hood Jr., 40, who suffered massive head injuries and died in a Seattle hospital several days after he was beaten by Henry.
Prosecutors said Henry found Hood sitting on a log drinking a beer, and hit and kicked Hood, causing internal bleeding and ultimately death. They alleged the attack was unprovoked.
Defense lawyer Damian Klauss argued that witness statements were unreliable and that the state failed to prove how Hood was injured. Klauss said it’s just as likely that Hood, who had a high blood alcohol reading at the time, could have fallen and hit his head on a log near where he was found.
The trial started Monday and went to the jury late Tuesday. Jurors spend more than a day wrestling with the verdict. Jurors said eight members of the panel held out for acquittal on the murder charge, and more deliberations would not likely result in any vote changes.
Because there was no verdict on the murder count, deputy prosecutor John Juhl said the state may seek to try Henry again for murder. It can’t try him again for manslaughter because of the acquittal.
A decision will be made later, Juhl said.
Under the theory he acted recklessly in causing Hood’s death, Henry was charged with first-degree manslaughter, a crime that could have gotten him about eight years behind bars.
The second-degree murder charge alleged that Hood’s death happened during the course of an assault. Henry could have received more prison time if he had been convicted of murder.
The incident happened in a wooded area in the 100 block of Marine Drive NE. Prosecutors alleged Hood had been sitting on a log when Henry arrived and began yelling at him. The two had been arguing over a woman for years, court documents say.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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