PORT TOWNSEND — After about nine hours of deliberation, a jury found Ryan Robert Baker guilty of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon at about 3 p.m. Friday.
Baker, 19, of Poulsbo was on trial for first-degree assault, which carried a possible life sentence and $50,000 fine, for the Oct. 20 stabbing of Tomas Hezina, 26, outside a Port Townsend apartment complex.
The Jefferson County Superior Court jury, on the fifth day of the trial, decided there was not enough evidence to convict Baker of first-degree assault.
“The difference is intent, which is a hard thing to prove,” said Shane Seaman, deputy prosecuting attorney.
“I totally feel like the system worked.”
Possible 3-year sentence
Baker is likely to serve 12 to 14 months for second-degree assault with an additional 24 mandatory months for the deadly weapon portion of the conviction, said Seaman.
From the testimony of the four other defendants in the case, who received reduced sentences in exchange for their testimony, the stabbing occurred over $20 that was supposed to purchase methamphetamine.
Hezina almost died from his wounds.
Hezina’s father, Joe Hezina, who traveled from Rockford, Ill., to observe the trial, said although the incident was unfortunate, something good did come out of it.
“The main thing is, [my son] is off drugs,” said Joe Hezina.
“It’s too bad it had to come to this.”
