Man who killed roommate convicted on lesser charge
Apr. 26—COLFAX — George Melvin Harris III was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting his Pullman roommate on College Hill in September 2021.
The verdict was delivered Friday afternoon following a weeklong trial that began Monday at Colfax's Whitman County Superior Court.
A jury of seven women and five men deliberated for around nine hours before returning with a guilty verdict. The Whitman County residents had the option of convicting Harris of first-degree manslaughter, but settled on a lesser charge.
The judgment was emotionally received by Harris' family, who were shocked by the conviction. Harris approached the victim's parents with his sympathies and told them, "God bless you all."
Harris shot and killed 23-year-old Liban Barre, and allegedly injured former Washington State University football player Brandon Gray, during a party on NE Lybecker Road in Pullman. Harris claims he fired his Glock 19 in self defense after being attacked by several men, one possessing a toy gun mistaken for a real one at night.
The case launched a yearslong Pullman Police Department investigation that was completed in June. Gray's refusal to cooperate with law enforcement was cited as delaying the charging of Harris until last summer.
Witness testimonies from Wednesday recounted the phrase "you're going to die now" bellowed from a group of men in the street shortly before a series of gunshots. The moments following were filled with chaos, as hundreds began to scatter from the party.
Neuropsychologist Thomas Farrer testified in court Thursday that Harris suffered from a "traumatic brain injury" caused by a blow to the head. His determination was made from reviewing a Pullman Regional Hospital emergency room visit report days after the incident.
Whitman County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau said while Harris had a right to defend himself, his use of the firearm was reckless.
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