Emmanuel Gomez Found Guilty On Both Counts – Reactions From Family – Prosecution – Defense
After just over two hours of deliberation, a jury in Missoula found Emmanuel Gomez guilty of deliberate homicide and partner or family member assault in the death of Charlie Ann Wyrick in December of 2015.
Charlie's mother, Crystal told KGVO News that she was relieved that her family's long ordeal was finally over.
"A sigh of relief that my daughter got her justice, that he can't go out there and do it to somebody else," Wyrick said. "Now, we can relax a little, a lot of relief has been released. We're happy with the verdict, but we will be back for the sentencing and I will be talking with the judge, and I will probably say something to the defendant, also."
Prosecutor Kirsten Pabst provided details of the verdict.
"The jury came back after about two and a half hours of deliberation, and they found Emmanuel Gomez guilty on both counts as charged, deliberate homicide and partner or family member assault for the abuse that he inflicted on her over the course of over a year."
Defense attorney Lisa Kaufman inferred in her closing statement that the situation faced by Charlie Ann Wyrick couldn't have been too severe, because none of her friends and family notified the police. Pabst responded to that remark.
"If you want to compare the culpability of the folks that were surrounding Charlie and trying to help her, versus the culpability of the man who took her life, I don't think there's any comparison," she said. "I think that was an attempt to deflect the blame, and the blame lies where it lies, and that is directly on Mr. Gomez's shoulders."
The other member of the Gomez defense team, Brian Smith, said he was disappointed with the verdict.
"There are some issues that we can raise and we'll make a motion for a new trial and look at an appeal and go from there," Smith said. "I think sentencing will be about 10 or 11 weeks out, and we'll do a pre-sentence investigation."
Gomez was returned to the Missoula County Jail to await sentencing. He could receive up to life in prison for the deliberate homicide conviction.