PORT ANGELES — Casey Joseph Balch landed the punch that led to Donald Gordon Knechtel’s death, it is agreed.
Whether he intended to kill him during a bar fight is the question his attorney raised during opening arguments Wednesday in the Port Angeles man’s trial.
Balch, 23, is charged with first-degree manslaughter, second-degree felony murder and second-degree aggravated assault in the death of Knechtel, 48, of Marysville after a fight outside the Front Street Alibi bar on East Front Street on June 1, 2012.
An 11-woman, three-man jury, including two alternates, was presented with opening arguments Wednesday in Clallam County Superior Court, with Judge Erik Rohrer presiding, in a trial expected to last into next week.
‘Wild punch’
It was “a wild punch” that knocked Knechtel to the ground at about midnight the night of altercation, said Balch’s attorney, Karen Unger of Port Angeles.
“He never intended to recklessly kill someone,” she said.
John Troberg, county chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney, said Balch “did not necessarily” intend to kill Knechtel but was guilty of second-degree murder because Knechtel died as a result of Balch’s assault.
The maximum penalties if Balch is found guilty are life imprisonment for second-degree felony murder, life imprisonment for first-degree manslaughter and 10 years for second-degree aggravated assault.
Balch had been released on $200,000 bail.
Fight outside bar
Witnesses had told police that Knechtel tried to break up a fight outside the bar before Balch punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Knechtel died nine days later at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Troberg told the jury Wednesday that Balch, then 21, and Knechtel had argued inside the bar and that “a scuffle” ensued.
A bar employee eventually escorted Balch outside, Troberg said.
Knechtel, 48, and his co-worker, Clint Alexander Crook of Bothell, then went outside in the parking lot, Troberg said.
There, Crook put Balch in a headlock before Knechtel tried separating the two, Troberg said.
Balch took his shirt off and said not to “disrespect” him before he crouched down, sprung up and hit Knechtel with one punch “full in the face,” Troberg said.
“[Knechtel] fell back, hit his head on the asphalt and fractured his skull,” Troberg said.
Troberg said Balch later said, “He called me a punk,” and, “Tell [Knechtel] I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
Balch never told police he was acting in self-defense, Troberg said.
A detective said Balch had consumed five to six shots of whiskey before the altercation, Troberg said.
The detective also said Balch did not have any marks or injuries from the parking lot confrontation, Troberg told the jury.
Unger said Balch has admitted to delivering the punch that led to Knechtel falling.
No dispute about punch
“There is no dispute that [Balch] punched Knechtel,” Unger said, adding that Balch, too, was intoxicated and had been drinking “for hours.”
She warned the jury that most of the testimony it would hear would come from people who were drunk at the time of Knechtel’s death.
It’s the kind of case “where there are few things that everyone can agree on,” she said.
Crook — who was then 36, according to Unger — and Knechtel, both of whom also were drunk, were both taller and heavier than Balch, who stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds, Unger said.
“You’ve got what you can imagine is a recipe for disaster,” Unger said.
“[Balch] never said he was defending himself.
“He told the officer he punched the guy after he was pushed.
“We intend to present testimony that it was an altercation between the two that terminated when Casey [Balch] left the bar.”
Unger said that after Balch extracted himself from Crook’s headlock and got away, Crook and Knechtel walked over to Balch and confronted him.
“Casey will tell you he was pushed and he just threw a punch and these guys were bigger than him, and because Knechtel was so intoxicated, he fell over and hit his head.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
