Jury considers teen's fate

Deliberations in Savoie murder trial begin again today

EPHRATA — A 12-year-old boy's actions on a day more than three years ago were described in sharp contrast by prosecutors and defense attorneys during closing arguments Thursday in Grant County Superior Court.

Jurors began deliberating Thursday to decide whether 15-year-old murder defendant Evan Savoie is innocent or guilty of killing 13-year-old Craig Sorger on Feb. 15, 2003, at Ephrata's Oasis Park.

Grant County Deputy Prosecutor Ed Owens described a sixth-grader who wanted to go on a "killing spree," tossed a pocket knife in the air as he strolled through the park with his friend Jake Eakin and then revealed how he wanted to kill the park's manager first.

Savoie, however, quickly opted for Sorger, a special education student, Owens argued.

Savoie lured Sorger to a wooded section of the park near the main pond, slashed and stabbed the boy more than 30 times with a knife, tried to hide the bloody evidence and then lied to police about what happened, Owens said.

"Three boys went into a glade, two came out," he told jurors.

All the evidence leads to Savoie and Eakin, the prosecutor argued, "No one else."

Owens ridiculed the teenage defendant's claim Sorger was hurt falling from a tree and abandoned by his companions because they were too scared to tell the truth about the accident or seek help.

The prosecutor accused Savoie of using his age to suggest he was incapable of committing such a vicious killing. The state presented an "overwhelming" amount of evidence in favor of a conviction, he

said.

"Show the defendant he's wrong in believing he's going to get away with this," Owens said, speaking to the jury.

Savoie, who has always insisted he's innocent, took the witness stand in his own defense Wednesday, telling jurors the only thing he did wrong that day was not seek aid for his friend who was bleeding from the head after falling from the tree.

His defense team has repeatedly suggested someone else came along as Sorger lay helpless after the fall and brutally attacked him.

Defense attorneys claim the Ephrata Police Department investigation was shoddy, failing to secure the crime scene or question a number of other people who were in and around Oasis Park that day.

Investigators also failed to check Sorger's clothing for the perpetrator's DNA, defense attorney Randy Smith said following the prosecution's closing arguments.

"You have a lot of evidence, but it doesn't tell you anything," Smith told the jury.

Owens contends the "evidence speaks volumes" in Savoie's case, Smith said. "Unfortunately, none of it says who stabbed Craig."

Smith attacked the testimony of Eakin, who testified against Savoie earlier in the trial. He called Eakin's testimony "self-serving," saying it passed nearly all of the responsibility for Sorger's slaying on to Savoie.

Eakin pleaded guilty to second-degree murder by complicity in April 2005, more than two years after the murder. Expecting an eight-year sentence in the plea deal, he received 14 years in custody. He agreed to testify against his friend.

Smith said Eakin's story was consistent with Savoie until he learned a lot more information from attorneys, police and others working on the case. Eventually, Smith said, Eakin began to adopt the new details into his own story.

"And magically, two years later, the story is different," Smith said.

Despite the changes in his story, Smith said Eakin has never claimed to have seen a knife in Savoie's hand during the alleged attack.

The alleged murder weapon was a long knife and Savoie's hands were small, but Eakin never saw it, Smith said.

Smith said Savoie and Eakin were not at the park long enough to commit the brutal murder.

"This assault on Craig wasn't a stick-and-go," Smith said. "It was a frenzy … it was brutal and it took some time."

Again, Smith said Cody Cook, 15, could have attacked Sorger. He said Cook was in the park that day, carrying a knife, had Sorger's blood on him and claimed to have witnessed the murder. An Ephrata detective said during the trial Cook was not credible.

"(Cook) couldn't have made all of it up," Smith explained. "Because he was in the park that day."

Owens attacked Smith's argument that Cook was somehow involved.

"Cook's a whacko," Owens said, causing some jurors to laugh. "We've heard his testimony."

Owens said the police department "didn't do the best job," but they followed the evidence they had.

Jurors were unable to reach a conclusion after half a day of deliberations Thursday. Today, they resume a review of the evidence admitted over the nearly three week long trial.

Savoie was tried as an adult, and if convicted, likely faces more than 20 years in prison.