Man is acquitted in felony murder case, but supporter faces charges over Facebook posts
Concerned that Kyler Carriker would be convicted in a controversial Kansas felony-murder case, Samuel McCrory made a few postings on Facebook, officials say.
In fact, Carriker was acquitted Thursday by a Sedgwick County jury. He had faced at least 20 years in prison if he had been found guilty, KAKE reports.
But the 22-year-old McCrory now facing charges of aggravated criminal threat and three counts of criminal possession of a firearm concerning his Facebook posts about the Wichita case, according to another KAKE story and KSN.
“This is not normal behavior. This is not peaceful protesting. This is a credible threat, period,” said Sheriff Jeff Easter of McCrory’s posts. They allegedly discussed storming the courthouse and using a rifle to defend against security officers who would “attack” under such circumstances.
Easter says McCrory is known for appearing at public events, at least sometimes wearing a mask, and carrying an AR-15 assault rifle, a handgun and an ax. This was a legal exercise of his Second Amendment rights under state law, according to the sheriff.
Prosecutors had argued Carriker was responsible for the slaying of a man by a purported marijuana buyer because Carriker had helped arrange the drug deal. It appears that Carriker, who was himself shot in the April 2013 incident, had no role in the actual shooting and had expected the sale to take place.
District attorney Marc Bennett said in a written statement that prosecution was warranted.
“Long after protesters find another cause, prosecutors in my office will be standing up in court seeking justice for victims of crime based on Kansas law,” he wrote. “In this case, Mr. Carriker set up a drug deal. … The actual evidence presented in the trial was that Mr. Carriker brought a gun to this deal. Despite claims to the contrary, this case was never about marijuana. This case was brought against people who brought guns to an illegal drug deal during which a man was killed.”
The articles don’t include any comment from McCrory or his legal counsel.
