A WOODBURY COUNTY JURY DELIBERATED AROUND TWO HOURS TO FIND 21-YEAR-OLD LAWRENCE CANADY OF SIOUX CITY GUILTY IN THE DEATH OF A MAN LAST SPRING.
THE JURY FOUND CANADY GUILTY OF VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, WILLFUL INJURY CAUSING BODILY INJURY AND SERIOUS ASSAULT IN THE MAY 1ST SHOOTING DEATH OF 22-YEAR-OLD MARTEZ HARRISON OUTSIDE OF UNCLE DAVE’S BAR AT 1427 WEST 3RD STREET.
CANADY DID NOT FIRE THE SHOTS THAT RESULTED IN HARRISON’S DEATH, BUT ASSAULTED HIM.
DURING THAT FIGHT, ANOTHER DEFENDANT STILL AWAITING TRIAL, DWIGHT EVANS, ALLEGEDLY SHOT HARRISON TWICE.
CANADY HAD BEEN CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE CASE, AND PROSECUTOR JILL STEEVES TOLD THE JURY IN HER CLOSING ARGUMENTS THAT EVEN THOUGH CANADY DID NOT FIRE THE SHOT THAT KILLED HARRISON, HE SHARED EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MURDER.
DEFENSE ATTORNEY MICHAEL JACOBSMA COUNTERED THAT CANADY AND HARRISON WERE GOOD FRIENDS WHO FOUGHT AND THREATENED EACH OTHER OFTEN, BUT THERE WAS NO PLAN FOR CANADY TO TAKE HIS FRIEND’S LIFE.
A SENTENCING DATE FOR CANADY IS PENDING.
