The jury had to sort through a parade of witnesses to figure which scenario to believe, but eventually found Duran guilty of first-degree murder, which requires premeditation with the intent to kill. Lowe said he was nervous over how the jury would view the conflicting stories on who killed DeLeon. The case went to the jury Thursday afternoon. Two jurors, who talked on the condition of anonymity, said sorting through the testimony was difficult. The jury split awhile before deciding Duran had planned to kill DeLeon, the jurors said.
Premeditation is required for a verdict of first-degree murder.
After Friday's verdict, family members and friends went outside the courthouse just after dusk to remember DeLeon. People wrote personal messages to DeLeon on about 15 white balloons. Then in unison, they released the balloons into the sky. The balloons floated up and south toward the Columbia River, disappearing into the dark. Copyright 1998 Tri-City Herald.