Kaarma Attorney Reveals Death Threats – Gunshot Fired At His Home As Sentencing Date Looms [YouTube]
For the first time, lead attorney in the Markus Kaarma trial, Paul Ryan revealed some of the incidents that occurred to him, his staff and even his home during the murder trial of his client.
Ryan said he understood the heat generated by the incident, and that emotions ran high against his client, however, he kept the incidents to himself during the trial.
"You're trying to manage a case, and at the same time, you've got things that are involving you personally, especially when you have your own children and what not," Ryan said. "These incidents also involved my personal residence and my business."
Court records released Friday detail some of the incidents that occurred during the trial that ended with a guilty verdict on December 17.
The affidavit states ‘Defendant received death threats; F***k You Ass***** was painted on the outside of defense counsel’s building; Defense attorney Paul Ryan had to call police when he discovered someone shot a window in his home. The round was large enough to put a hole in his window; Since conclusion of the trial, three of the defendant’s attorneys have received harassing voice-mails from anonymous members of the community.’
Ryan steadfastly maintains his insistence that the trial should never have been held in Missoula, due in great part to negative media coverage. He specifically singled out the Missoulian newspaper.
"A trial shouldn't be held in that community where decision had already been made and so much pressure put, it was obvious ," he said. "As you read the Missoulian reports, it's obvious where they stand and the tenor of their stories went in finding, in their opinion, the guilt of Markus Kaarma."
Sentencing for Kaarma is set for Thursday, March 12 at 9 a.m. Prior to the actual sentencing, Judge Ed McLean will decide whether or not Kaarma should receive a new trial, or if a lesser charge of mitigated deliberate homicide might be considered.
Deliberate homicide carries a sentence of from 10 years to life in prison.