Sweder Not Guilty!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 @ 7:21 PM
Prince George, B.C. – Jesse Norman Sweder is a free man. The jury returned with a verdict this evening, a verdict that was 6 days in the making, Not Guilty of murder in the shooting death of Peter John Letendre
This was the second trial for Sweder. This trial heard 12 weeks of testimony, and the Jury was on the eve of a week’s worth of deliberations, when the call came around 6:00 p.m. that they had reached a verdict. The first trial had ended with a hung jury after 7 weeks of testimony and several days of deliberations.
A gaunt Sweder, rocked on his heels as he nervously waited for Justice Glen Parrett and the Jury to arrive in the Prince George Court room.
Sweder’s family members gasped air as they held back their joy as the verdict was announced.
Sweder turned to his family and fought back the tears. His lawyer, James Heller, looked as though he too would explode with joy.
Sweder was accused of murdering Peter John Letendre in December of 2004. Letendre was found on Norwood Street at 20th Avenue, he had been shot 4 times in the back.
Comments
The wannabe gangster’s, accused murderer’s are doing well in the PG court’s this week.
Tough to convince any jury that the demise of “Pistol Pete” requires any one to go to jail.
Would the real killer please step forward!
Remeber, this doesn’t mean the jury thought he was innocent, there just was not enough evidence to convict. The jury thought there was a reasonable doubt that he was guilty.
I couldn’t believe that earlier this week, the Smith fellow was successful on his appeal to have his conviction downgraded from murder to manslaughter. When a young man with a massive criminal record swings a machete at another human, you better believe he had no other intentions but to severely wound or kill the other fellow. Our court systems with all their wonderful precedents suck.
I have to agree with you bornandbred.
With regards to Sweder: well remember the OJ trial. Everyone knows he did it…proving it is another matter.
4 bullets went into the back of the victim. If this Sweder person is not guilty then the real killer is still out there somewhere. Somebody must have pulled the trigger 4 times, at least, and shot a person who was trying to get away.
Hope the real murderer will be apprehended soon.
I applaud the jurors of this case. A trial which should have lasted a month lasted almost 3 months to the day. Being sequestered for 7 days and having the duty to come to a verdict, with the evidence that was presented. Was he there? Most likely, does he know the killer? Perhaps. The only thing that the jury had to do was make an awfully hard decision. Doesn’t sound hard, but from personal insight, I know it was.
Kind of wondering why the second trial took 5 weeks longer than the first…Oh well glad to see Mr Sweder will be back home safe and sound
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