ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A St. Paul man was found guilty Friday of first-degree premeditated murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole in the killing of a law clerk.
Ryan Petersen, 37, was convicted after a three-day bench trial, after he waived his right to a trial by jury. He was also convicted of second-degree intentional murder and illegal possession of a firearm in connection with the April 7 shooting of Chase Passauer.
Prosecutors say Petersen shot Passauer eight times as the 23-year-old was working as a law clerk at North Star Criminal Defense in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood. Petersen went to the office because he was upset with his attorney in unrelated case.
He admitted during trial that he shot Passauer in a fit of rage, but he said the shooting was not premeditated. Prosecutors disagreed, and said Petersen told the mother of his children that he was going to shoot his attorney and he went to the office with a gun.
Petersen didn’t speak before he was sentenced Friday.
Ramsey County District Judge William Leary said the crime’s brutality was self-evident, but no one is beyond redemption.
“When no person is beyond redemption, that includes you,” the judge said to Petersen. “I hope you’ll do your best to do whatever you can to make up for this unfortunate event.”
Some of Passauer’s family and friends were in court. His father, Christopher Passauer, wrote a victim impact statement that was read by prosecutors.
“I will never get to hear him say, ’I love you, dad’ … I will miss my son . every second of every day for the rest of my life,” the statement said.
North Star Criminal Defense released a statement after the sentencing that said Passauer was a “firm believer in our criminal justice system” and would have been proud of the case’s outcome.
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