By Scott North
Herald Writer
An Everett-area man can expect to spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted Tuesday of aggravated first-degree murder in the Dec. 11 stabbing and shooting death of a neighbor.
A Snohomish County jury spent about two hours deliberating the case against Brandon White before announcing a verdict.
White stared at the floor as he was led into the courtroom. The family and friends of his victim, Gail Jubie, 37, wept in relief after the verdict was announced. She was the youngest of 12 children, and the courtroom was packed with her siblings and extended family.
During a two-week trial, deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson presented what he called "overwhelming" evidence that White killed Jubie during a botched robbery at her home on Sunnyside Boulevard east of Everett.
The scariest thing about the case was that Jubie’s only mistake had been opening her front door to help a stranger, Matheson told jurors.
"If someone targets you, death is as close as an open front door," he said.
The defendant was linked to the killing after police followed a single trail of bloody footprints from the Jubie home to White’s parents’ house nearby. A search turned up a blood-soaked business suit that had been worn by the killer. Jubie’s blood was also spattered on his shoes, his socks and one of his ears.
White early on admitted involvement in the killing, but only after telling a series of conflicting stories that minimized his involvement. He ultimately claimed another person was involved and was chiefly responsible for shooting Jubie and stabbing her 31 times.
White’s attorney, public defender Caroline Mann, conceded his statements to police demonstrated that White was a "bad liar."
Still, she said there were reasons to doubt whether Jubie’s killing was premeditated. The multiple wounds were more suggestive of somebody acting out of "panic, pure and simple," she said, urging jurors to consider a lesser charge of second-degree murder.
Prosecutors earlier decided against seeking the death penalty, so White’s crime carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without possibility of release. He has no other criminal history.
Judge Linda Krese scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14.
You can call Herald Writer Scott North at 425-339-3431
or send e-mail to north@heraldnet.com.
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