A 28-year-old man, Jesse Lee Jones, was found guilty Thursday of shooting in an Anchorage apartment complex and killing Josiah Goecker over a notice of non-renewal in 2023. Jones, who had been living with his pregnant girlfriend, was enraged after learning that he and his girlfriend would be evicted.
Jones entered the leasing office and asked why he and his girlfriend were kicked out. A witness testified that Jones became increasingly agitated, pulled out a gun and struggled with Goecker. During the altercation, Jones fired the gun multiple times, killing Goecker on the spot.
The witness confirmed that the altercation escalated quickly, and Jones fled the scene shortly after. Prosecutor Brittany Dunlop presented security footage of the incident where Jones was seen firing a weapon. Dunlop argued that Jones had planned the shooting and entered the office with the sole intention of killing Goecker.
Jones´s attorney, Chong Yim, acknowledged that his client shot and killed Goecker but argued that first-degree murder charges were too severe. Yim claimed Jones acted in a passion driven by the stress of his impending eviction.
He argued that Jones never intended to kill Goecker but only sought an explanation for the notice. Yim also suggested that Hones feared for his life during the struggle over the weapon, which could qualify as self-defence.
Despite the defence argument, the jury deliberated for about an hour before returning a guilty verdict. Goecker´s family expressed relief and gratitude for the decision. Jones is scheduled for sentencing on July 11, and the charges for shooting in an Anchorage apartment complex could carry a sentence of 30 to 99 years in prison.
This news article was originally published by Alaska´s News Source.
