A Gresham, Oregon, man facing double murder charges for the fatal shooting of two would-be cannabis dispensary robbers last October has been found not guilty, The Oregonian reports.
Jason R. Steiner, who turned himself in to the police several days after the encounter, was working alone at the La Mota dispensary in North Portland the evening of October 2, 2024, when three people entered and brandished guns at him. He told investigators that he got his bag and left the shop, telling the robbers he was leaving, but that he returned and shot at them through a walk-up window, killing two of the individuals, 18-year-old King Lawrence and 20-year-old Tahir Burley. The third person, later identified as 21-year-old Jalen Hudson, escaped on foot.
Surveillance footage shows Steiner leaving the premises, then returning and firing multiple rounds through the window.
Prosecutors pursuing two counts of first-degree murder argued that Steiner had made the conscious choice to return and kill the young men, shooting them while they were unaware, when he could have easily escaped without further escalation. But Steiner, who said he was worried they would come after him and acted out of fear for his own safety, was found not guilty by a Multnomah County jury.
Defense attorney Thalia Sady, who represented Steiner in the case, said, “The jury made the right decision.”
Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson said in the report, “We believe a crime was committed, but we respect the jury’s decision in the case.”
