Brent Robinson walked into a 3rd District Courtroom Tuesday facing a murder charge and a possible lifetime prison sentence. Seven hours later, he was a free man.
An eight-member jury acquitted Robinson of robbing and fatally shooting Greg Carrell, 21, during a 1992 drug deal gone bad. The decision prompted tears from the 20-year-old Salt Lake man who has spent the past two years in jail.Throughout the trial, jury members were asked to decide what role Robinson had played in Carrell's death.
Prosecutors claimed that on Dec. 21, 1992, Robinson and David "D.J." Corona picked-up Carrell at his West Valley home and drove to a Glendale field under the guise of a drug deal. The two then shot Carrell and robbed him of $4,000, said police.
But in his testimony, Robinson said he was with Corona the night of the slaying because he was working as an undercover drug informant for local police.
When the trio stepped out of Corona's truck, Robinson said, Corona shot Carrell once in the face with a 9mm handgun. Corona then removed a gun from Carrell's body, put it to Robinson's head and ordered him to shoot the victim two more times, the defendent said.
Corona reported the shooting the next day and told police that Robinson was to blame. Robinson was later arrested in connection with the slaying.
During the trial, Robinson said he was afraid of Corona because of the incident with Carrell's gun - adding that Corona had also threatened the lives of his family if he talked to police.
Corona has since pleaded guilty to the murder and is serving a prison term of 5 years to life.
Defense attorney Ron Yengich said Robinson was known by teachers and classmates at East High School as an "honest student" and blamed police for placing a young, untrained "informant" like Robinson in a dangerous position the night of the shooting.
"He was there to get evidence of drugs and guns and he found himself in a situation he could not get out of," said Yengich.
But prosecutor Paul Parker questioned Robinson's honesty Tuesday, excusing the defendent's claim that he did not contact police following the shooting because he feared for his life.
Parker told the jury that Robinson had bought clothes the day after the shooting with cash stolen from Carrell and asked, "Is spending money from a dead man the actions of someone who is being coerced? . . . It is not."