A King County Superior Court jury took just one day to convict Jorge Lizarraga of the murder of Devin Topps, 18, in October 2010 in Kent.
The 12 jurors started deliberations at 9 a.m. Tuesday and reached a verdict late in the afternoon. All 12 had to agree on the verdict.
The jury convicted Lizarraga, 23, of second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement as well as two counts of violation of the uniform firearms act (for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms), residential burglary, theft of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm, according to Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Lizarraga is scheduled to be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. He faces a sentence range of 29 to 38 years, Donohoe said.
Lizarraga shot and killed Topps during a fight after a 2010 Halloween party.
Jessica Berliner, senior deputy prosecuting attorney, told jurors on Monday during closing arguments that witnesses and evidence prove that Lizarraga killed Topps on Oct. 31, 2010 outside of a Kent home.
Topps, a popular Kentridge High School student and football player, became involved in a fist fight with another man outside the house party when Lizarraga pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots into the air, causing people at the party to scatter, before he walked up to Topps and shot him once in the back. Topps died at the scene.
Jurors heard from more than 40 witnesses during the six-week trial and saw nearly 170 exhibits.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
