Snohomish jury acquits Halloween shooter in Kirkland teen’s murder
November 5, 2008 · 2:23 PM
In a verdict that came nearly one year after the day Kirkland resident Christopher Chandler was killed at a Mill Creek Halloween party, an Everett jury acquitted Bryce Fortier of murdering him Oct. 27.
Chandler, 18, was shot and killed by Fortier but the jury didn’t agree with Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Sherry King and found him innocent of second-degree murder and all other counts related to the death. In a separate decision to determine if Fortier acted in self-defense, however, the jury decided 11-1 that he did not. The split verdict means Fortier, 23, must pay for costs associated with the case but will not carry a criminal record.
Witnesses from the party said both that Chandler had tried to stop a fight that had broken out at the party and that Fortier was severely beaten prior to the shooting.
Snohomish County deputies responded to the Oct. 28, 2007 party at 1 a.m. and discovered the victim lying dead on the sidewalk. Fortier, a Central Washington University student in Ellensburg at the time, was later charged with murder.
Chandler had been taking engineering classes at Lake Washington Technical College at the time of his death.
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