EVERETT, Wash. — A mistrial was declared Wednesday in the manslaughter conviction of a 23-year-old Lake Stevens man.
In October, Alejandro Meza was convicted of gunning down a fellow passenger on a Community Transit bus.
The Everett Herald reported that Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Richard Okrent said deputy prosecutor Adam Sturdivant prejudiced the jury and misled them with several statements, including calling the shooting an “execution.”
Meza testified he confronted the victim, 33-year-old Gene Peterson, on March 7 last year because he wanted the man to stop smoking drugs on the bus.
There was a fight between the men, and surveillance video showed that Peterson punched Meza in the face.
Meza reportedly told police he shot and killed Peterson.
Prosecutors have not yet decided if they’ll appeal the ruling, ask Okrent to reconsider, or prepare for another trial.
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