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Provo • Eighteen-year-old Meagan Dakota Grunwald has been found guilty of 11 of 12 charges, including aggravated murder and attempted murder, for her role in a 2014 crime spree that left one officer dead and another wounded.
An eight-person jury — six women and two men — deliberated for more than 11 hours before reaching its verdicts early Saturday morning.
Jurors found Grunwald not guilty of just one charge — the attempted aggravated murder of trooper Jeff Blankenagel.
She faces up to life in prison for the death of Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Cory Wride. She will be sentenced July 8.
Grunwald told jurors during two days of testimony this week that she was threatened by her boyfriend, Jose Angel Garcia-Jauregui, and drove out of fear for her life as he shot at police officers and motorists. But prosecutors say she wasn't truthful on the stand, and that she was compelled by love and loyalty to act as the getaway driver.
After two weeks of testimony in 4th District Court Judge Darold McDade's courtroom, attorneys spent nearly four hours Friday giving closing arguments, with Deputy Utah County Attorney Sam Pead telling jurors that Grunwald's actions speak louder than words and that her actions "scream out" her intent.
"Her actions are so motivated and responsive, they can only come from love," Pead said. "They do not match a claim of compulsion."
But Grunwald's attorney, Dean Zabriskie, said the then-17-year-old girl was scared and intimidated that day by her much-older boyfriend, who threatened her with his gun.
"As you hear this case presented, as you review the conduct of Meagan, you have to look at it through her eyes," Zabriskie said. "You have to step into her skin, into her experience and judge it."
Zabriskie at one point pointed a disabled pellet gun at jurors, asking them, "Does that not cause your heart to increase?"
He said that if there is any possibility of doubt, Grunwald "gets the benefit of that and you have to acquit."
But Pead accused Grunwald of downplaying her relationship with Garcia-Jauregui and lying about her role as an alleged accomplice. Even before trial, Pead said, the girl repeatedly lied to family members, friends and police officers about the seriousness of her relationship.
"She has lied and lied and lied," Pead said. "And most of her lies are about she and Jose Angel Garcia's relationship … She's no novice at storytelling. She gives many half-truths that counted together is a whole lot of lies."
Grunwald testified that on Jan. 30, 2014 — while on a drive with Garcia-Jauregui — he learned during a phone call that the parole board had issued an warrant for his arrest.
As they were stopped at the side of the road in Utah County, Wride happened to pull up to see if they needed help. When Wride asked their names, Garcia-Jauregui gave a false name.
As Wride checked their information in his patrol vehicle, Garcia-Jauregui told Grunwald that she didn't do what he said, he would shoot her and kill her family, the teen testified.
Soon after, Garcia-Jauregui killed Wride, 44, by shooting out the rear window of Grunwald's pickup truck. Wride's dashboard camera video shows the white truck speed off as shots were fired.
Later that day, Garcia-Jauregui shot and severely wounded Deputy Greg Sherwood. Nearly two hours after Wride was shot, Garcia-Jauregui was fatally wounded by other officers during a shootout in Nephi.
Zabriskie called Wride and Sherwood "American heroes," and compared Grunwald to Elizabeth Smart, noting that Smart has said she did not flee her kidnappers — Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Eileen Barzee — out of fear for her family.
"There is no happy ending in this case," Zabriskie told jurors. "When all is said and done, injury will remain. Sgt. Wride will still not be in our midst. Officer Sherwood will still be suffering the after-effect [of his injuries.]"
Zabriskie accused prosecutors of making Grunwald "a sacrifice" since Garcia-Jauregui is not alive to face charges. But Deputy Utah County Attorney Tim Taylor said that wasn't the case.
"Without a doubt, if Jose Angel Garcia had [survived], Jose Angel Garcia and Meagan Grunwald would be sitting right here, right now," he said. "She is not the sacrificial lamb."
Taylor told jurors that under Utah law, an accomplice is charged with the same crimes and is equally responsible.
"If you intentionally assist another, you are as guilty as if you had done every single act yourself," he said. "Including pulling the trigger."
Wride's son, Shea Wride, said after closing arguments Friday that he felt relieved.
"I feel as though this is going to be just and fair," he said, "And she is going to get what she deserves."
The son said his family may not be present when the verdict is read, because they are heading to Washington D.C. to watch Cory Wride's name be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial next week. Cory Wride's widow, Nannette Wride, left Utah on Thursday to prepare to ride in the Unity Tour bike ride in her husband's honor.
But daughter-in-law Amie Soper-Wride said that regardless of the outcome, they know prosecutors did their best to prove their case against Grunwald.
"Regardless of how it turns out, we know that they did exactly what they could have done to make things right for our family," she said. "We'll at least have closure in knowing that."
Prosecutors charged Grunwald as an adult with first-degree felony aggravated murder and 11 other counts: two counts of first-degree felony attempted aggravated murder, first-degree felony aggravated robbery, three counts of felony discharge of a firearm, two charges of criminal mischief, and one count each of causing an accident involving property damage, failure to stop at command of police and possession or use of a controlled substance.
Twitter: @jm_miller