Second trial of man whose rampage led to fatal police shooting ends in guilty verdict

Gene Atkins was already convicted of attempted murder, grand theft and kidnapping, but the first jury deadlocked on the murder charge.LOS ANGELES (CN) — A jury found Gene Atkins, the man whose violent rampage led to a fatal police shooting at a Trader Joe’s in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake, guilty of second-degree murder Tuesday.Atkins was first tried in June and convicted of three counts of attempted murder for shooting his 17-year-old girlfriend, Leah Williams, and his grandmother and firing at police officers. He was also convicted of dozens of other counts stemming from a frantic pursuit he led police on, ending with him crashing into a utility pole outside the Silver Lake Trader Joe’s. Atkins burst out of the car, fired wildly at police and ran into the supermarket. Two police officers fired back; one of their stray bullets struck a store employee, 27-year-old Melyda Corado, killing her.Corado’s father, Albert, who had sat stoically throughout every day of both trials, said the verdict changed nothing.“My daughter is still dead,” he told reporters after the verdict was read. The outcome doesn’t matter … It makes no difference to me. Mely’s gone.”He added: “We’re still dealing with Mely not being around. We don’t celebrate Christmas. It feels awkward.”Prosecutors charged Atkins with second-degree murder for Corado’s death, on the legal theory that her death was the “natural and probable” result of Atkins’ “provocative act.” That first jury deadlocked, 10-2, on the murder charge, though it voted to convict him on every other count, including kidnapping, grand theft and false imprisonment, a verdict that will likely have him serving a life sentence. But prosecutors decided to try Atkins again anyway, in deference, they said, to Corado’s father.But Albert Corado said Tuesday that he never asked prosecutors to try Atkins again." I didn’t ask them,” Albert Corado said. “They’re just sore losers.”Atkins did not appear for his second trial, refusing to leave his jail cell every morning. His attorney, Errol Cook, did not make an opening statement nor call any witnesses. During his closing argument, he called Corado’s death “a tragic mistake” and argued his client, while “a horrible guy,” was not responsible for the killing.“Had Mr. Atkins decided, reasonably, to pull over and give up,” Deputy District Attorney Ben Schwartz told the jury during his closing argument, “had he decided, ‘I’m just going to face the consequences and pull over and give up,’ Ms. Corado would still be here today. But he didn’t. He did not give a damn about anybody except himself that day.”The jury deliberated about three hours before reaching the verdict.“We thought it was clear that the defendant caused the situation that ultimately led to Ms. Corado’s death,” said the jury foreman, who declined to give his name, after the trial. “Even had it not been that specific bullet, we realized a reasonable person would have expected violent ramifications.”Schwartz said he was “happy for the victim’s family,” and the “jury came to the right conclusion.” Cook offered his condolences to Albert Corado, saying, “I could not imagine his loss.” When the two met in the hallway outside the courtroom, Corado praised Cook and called him “the best lawyer.”He was similarly gracious when, during the first trial, he met the father of Gene Atkins, whose name is also Gene Atkins, outside the courthouse cafeteria. The two embraced.As for the younger Atkins, who wasn’t in court to hear the verdict read, Corado said, “He’s a coward. He should have faced the consequences of his actions. And the judge should have forced him.”The city of LA paid Corado’s family $9.5 million to settle its wrongful death lawsuit, though prosecutors concluded the two officers who shot at Atkins acted lawfully and in defense of themselves and others.Initially, Atkins pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, telling the court in 2019, “I was sent here by Jesus,” and “I’m a prophet. Sent to correct the wrong." In 2021, he was found mentally competent to stand trial. He mostly represented himself in pretrial hearings but eventually settled on a defense attorney, Cook.Categories / Criminal, TrialsSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads