Pasco — Jurors in Todd D. Stuart’s murder conspiracy trial have reached a decision.
Lawyers and court officials will gather shortly in a Franklin County courtroom to announce the verdicts.
Jurors were given the case at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and left for the day at 3:50 p.m. They resumed deliberations at 9 a.m. today, and word came in at 2:20 p.m. that the verdicts were in.
Stuart, 49, is charged in Superior Court with attempted first-degree murder and first-degree conspiracy to commit murder.
He denied any involvement in the March 3, 2011, death of his mother-in-law, Judy Hebert.
However, Prosecutor Shawn Sant alleges Stuart plotted with his wife to kill Hebert so the couple could inherit the Pasco woman’s property.
Hebert, 58, was shot twice inside her Salmon Drive home. Her death came 11 days after she was hit on the head by a 31.8-pound plastic bin that fell from the rafters in her garage.
Sant claims Todd and Tashia Stuart arranged for Hebert to be in a certain spot in the garage so she’d be severely hurt after Tashia allegedly pushed the bin.
Tashia Stuart faces trial Oct. 24 on one count of first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances. She has claimed self-defense and said her mother came at her with an ax.
Sant told jurors in Todd Stuart’s trial that the conspiracy to kill Hebert started long before the garage incident.
The couple, along with Tashia’s 7-year-old daughter, moved into Hebert’s Pasco home in January 2011.
Prosecutors claim Stuart went to California to visit family a couple days before Hebert was killed with the plan that Tashia Stuart would finish off her mother and say she was defending herself. Todd Stuart then would return to the Tri-Cities to be with his wife, Sant said.
Stuart’s lawyer, Jeffery Robinson of Seattle, painted a different picture for the jury, saying his client left because his marriage was falling apart.
Robinson said there were accusations of infidelity and that Tashia Stuart was “pursuing her own desires,” not conspiring with her husband, because she wanted him out of Hebert’s will.
The trial started Sept. 10 with jury selection. The first testimony was given Sept. 20 and it wrapped up Wednesday morning.
Check tricityherald.com for updates as the verdict is announced.
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