GUILTY: Jury’s verdict in 2017 West Seattle shooting death of Edixon Velasquez

2:22 PM: We’re at the county courthouse downtown, where the jury has just announced its verdicts in the trial of Anna Kasparova and Abel Linares-Montejo, charged in the September 2017 shooting death of 25-year-old Edixon Velasquez outside his Westwood home. Kasparova, 23, guilty of 1st-degree murder. Linares-Montejo, 21, guilty of 1st-degree murder. Both were found to have used a gun in the commission of the crime. He was accused of firing the deadly shots – ostensibly during a robbery attempt – after Kasparova, who had dated Velasquez, got him to come outside and help her park her car. She was arrested a few days after the early-evening shooting; he was arrested two weeks later. After closing arguments on Monday afternoon, the 8-woman, 4-man jury deliberated 2 1/2 days. More to come….

2:43 PM: Their sentencing date will be set later; both have been in jail since their arrests in fall 2017. The trial lasted a month, and Superior Court Judge Kristin Richardson thanked the jurors in open court for their service during a “long (and) difficult trial.” As deputies took them back to jail after the verdict, Kasparova was crying; Linares-Montejo told family/friends in the gallery, “I’ve got faith in God … I’m still coming home.” Someone said, apparently referring to the jury, “I hope they’re happy”; someone else responded, “No one’s happy.”

ktrapp December 5, 2019 (3:47 pm)

Thank you for the coverage. I was out running that night and had to divert a block over because of the police investigation. So I’ve been following this case since that evening. I hope the victim’s family finds some peace from the verdict.

buttercup December 5, 2019 (4:40 pm)

I pray for all 3 families and the baby born during incarceration.. She has evil to stop, bend down to look at him then step over him and leave the scene with him laying on the ground. Whatever permeates both of them I pray will be somehow healed and turn their lives in a better direction. Such a sad loss for all involved.

carolei December 6, 2019 (8:08 pm)

What baby was born during incarceration? Was Anna Kasparova pregnant??
- WSB December 6, 2019 (8:28 pm)
  
  Mentioned here:
  https://westseattleblog.com/2019/11/murder-case-testimony-continues-in-trial-of-edixon-velasquezs-accused-killers/
- carolei December 6, 2019 (8:39 pm)
  
  Sorry. I clearly haven’t been following this story closely. I’ve now caught up and realize that she gave birth in jail eight months after the murder.
  - WSB December 6, 2019 (9:31 pm)
    
    I hadn’t heard it until I read the trial briefs before the day I was finally able to go to court to check on the trial’s status. To be clear, since the commenter says the paternity allegation is inaccurate, it is from the prosecution’s trial brief, with a transcription of a call between Linares-Montejo and the friend who turned him in, in which he told the friend that Kasparova was pregnant and he was apparently the father. Her defense trial brief says only that she and her co-defendant had been “casually dating” for a few months leading up to the murder.

WW Resident December 5, 2019 (5:00 pm)

Wow someone at the trial implied it was somehow the jurors were at fault with their statement

zrated December 6, 2019 (10:41 am)

Typical thuggy sentiment.

Trickycoolj December 5, 2019 (5:51 pm)

Having served on a difficult and lengthy jury myself I feel for the jurors. Listening and seeing graphic evidence when you’re not used to it is very traumatizing and KC Courts only provide 1 session with a counselor immediately after trial ends. Family members of the guilty party are mere feet from you and you have no idea how they will react or if they could follow you on your way to the bus. Meanwhile your coworkers and friends bombard you with questions and silly anecdotes on how they got out of jury duty not knowing the kind of trial you’re serving on. I hope they are doing ok and seek the help they need to process.

WiseWoman December 6, 2019 (3:29 pm)

Yes I concur. This case is more typical of the generation where parents can no longer discipline children. These are the results of no conscious no consequences youth. And in many other cases sadly Jurors don’t get all the true evidence in any trial. That’s how innocent people are convicted in our court system every. single. day.
- Cbj December 6, 2019 (11:50 pm)
  
  The most important job we have is being a parent, you screw that up and the reprocussions are long term, discipline is critical yet so many folks are afraid to provide discipline and to role model appropriately
- Nolan December 7, 2019 (3:03 pm)
  
  What evidence do you have to justify the bombastic claim that “parents can no longer discipline children”? Care to back it up with some data that shows a differential trend over time that directly correlates some idea of “discipline” with some idea of “no consequences youth”?

Scubafrog December 5, 2019 (6:12 pm)

Thanks WSB. It’s always so senseless in the end, the taking of a life. Here, 3 lives ruined, and for what. Naturally my heart goes out to the victim and his family. I hope the murderers spend their natural lives in prison. They ended a promising young man’s life, left a baby orphaned, destroyed the victim’s family’s lives, and sullied our community.

justme December 5, 2019 (7:36 pm)

So true scubafrog. And that just goes to show us how very little they valued their own lives to commit such a heinous crime on others.
WiseWoman December 6, 2019 (3:31 pm)

Actually 4+ because of the unborn baby born into incarceration. Plus the family of the victim. Losing a child is extremely life changing and healing from that is the most difficult ever!

anonyme December 6, 2019 (6:44 am)

And now they’re acting as if they are somehow the victims. Boo-hoo.

V December 6, 2019 (9:38 am)

I think it’s important to state, since nobody else has, the baby was not left an orphan. He is not the son of the convicted man. he has been perfectly safe, loved and cared for since the day he was taken home from the hospital by his real father and rest of his family on both sides.

Sarah December 6, 2019 (10:25 am)

Thank you for adding this, I had wondered. Hope baby is doing well ❤️
Scubafrog December 7, 2019 (1:39 pm)

Thank goodness! One bitter-sweet thing to come from this madness.

Native December 6, 2019 (9:51 am)

Having served on a jury for a murder trial, there is an extremely high burden of proof in order to convict on 1st degree murder. These jurors had a very hard job and all of the evidence must have been sufficient for them to reach this conclusion. My hat is off to them.

Sorry, comment time is over.