Cheers and applause erupted Tuesday in a packed Chemung County courtroom when a jury announced Anthony Horton was guilty of the most serious of the charges against him -- aggravated murder.
That count alone will guarantee Horton life behind bars without a chance of parole for his role in the March 1 shooting death of New York state Trooper Andrew J. Sperr.
The jury also found Horton guilty of first- and second-degree murder, first- and third-degree robbery and second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with Sperr's death on Lowe Road in Big Flats and a holdup at the nearby Chemung Canal Trust Co. bank branch in Big Flats.
The jury deliberated for two-and-a-half hours before returning its verdict. Sperr's parents and several of his brothers and sisters were in the courtroom, as were numerous representatives from the state police and other law enforcement agencies.
"We're thrilled, thrilled with the verdict. We can never be sure until we hear the verdict," said Maj. Steven White, state police Troop E commander. "We were confident all through the trial, but you never know. That was obviously the biggest part, the aggravated murder."
District Attorney John Trice called more than 40 witnesses during the trial and methodically laid out how Horton planned the robbery well in advance, down to the smallest detail.
Horton also recruited Bryan Adams as a driver and his brother Wayne as a lookout and armed himself with a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver as insurance, the district attorney said.
One thing Horton didn't count on, however, was the chance encounter with Trooper Sperr when he and Bryan Adams drove to Lowe Road to switch cars after the bank robbery. Faced with the prospect of getting caught and going to jail, Horton instead made a conscious decision to use deadly force, Trice said.
Chemung County Public Advocate Richard W. Rich Jr., who represented Horton, didn't call Horton or any witnesses to the stand during the trial. He tried to convince the jury that it was never Horton's intention to kill Sperr.
"Obviously we had hoped they would have found he didn't have the intent to kill. We respect the verdict of the jury," Rich said. "They deliberated quite a while. They asked intelligent questions. Mr. Horton is disappointed. I can't say I'm surprised by the verdict. We were up against a mountain of evidence; no question about it. The district attorney and the state police should be commended for a very thorough prosecution."
Rich said he will meet with Horton today and discuss a possible appeal. That decision won't be final until after Horton is sentenced, Rich said.
Trice also gave most of the credit for the successful case to the state police, saying in 20 years as a prosecutor he's never been handed so much evidence to work with.
"I'm very pleased with the verdict. It did not come by way of me," he said. "It came from all the police agencies that worked this case to death. Because of their dedication and hard work, they helped us convince the jury that the defendant was guilty on all counts.
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