Was a deadly shooting a robbery gone wrong or self defense? A Tri-Cities jury will decide

Two descriptions of a 65-year-old great-grandfather emerged Monday as attorneys talked about the shooting that led to his death.

Prosecutors said Leonard Slack Jr. struggled to get up the stairs of his Kennewick apartment before Anthony Spearman, 42, shot and killed him during a botched robbery.

But Slack’s attorneys portrayed him as a drug user willing to use violence to collect on the promise of a sexual favor in exchange for the drugs he gave Spearman.

The two sides presented their opening statements Wednesday afternoon in Spearman’s trial for second-degree murder.

Slack reportedly told a neighbor, a 911 dispatcher and police officers that Spearman shot him, Deputy Prosecutor Kristin McRoberts told the jurors.

He was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where he died from a gunshot wound to his abdomen.

Spearman previously pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, but he took back the plea after it was discovered prosecutors made a mistake in the length of time he potentially faced in prison.

Since then, Spearman has had several mental health evaluations and his behavior even triggered a previous mistrial.

Botched robbery

Slack’s daughter is expected to testify that her dad lived alone in a second-floor apartment.

“She will tell you how she had become concerned with him even living there because it was getting difficult for him to make his way without starting to breathe heavily up to that second floor apartment,” McRoberts said.

While he had struggled with drug use at different points in his life, he was a loved member of their family who still had a job.

Court documents show that Spearman had his own history with drug use.

About an hour and a half before the shooting, Spearman allegedly sent messages through social media that he was looking to get a gun so he could commit a robbery, McRoberts told jurors.

While it’s not clear how he got a firearm, police believe he went to Slack’s home looking to rob him, the prosecutor said.

Slack’s neighbor, who called 911 about the fight and the gunshot, is also expected to testify.

When officers arrived, they found Slack’s couch tipped over, a table flipped, a revolver under Slack and a machete nearby.

Slack was shot twice with the revolver and told people before he died that Spearman was trying to rob him, McRoberts said.

A later search found a pill that appeared to be fentanyl and a white powdery substance, she told the jurors.

After the shooting, Spearman allegedly sent social media messages asking for cash because he “screwed up and needed to get out of town.” Police found arrested him two days later at the Thunderbird Motel in Pasco.

Spearman reportedly told police about going to the apartment that night and said “things got uncomfortable,” McRoberts said.

“He made some vague statements about Mr. Slack coming at him with a machete and he had a gun and he had another gun,” McRoberts said. “He said Mr. Slack tried to hit him with the machete.”

Spearman also told officers that Slack was “some kind of sexual predator.” He told officers that he “really wanted to tell the police what happened, but he was going to get information to prove what happened first before he turned himself in.”

In a second statement to police, he claimed he didn’t bring the gun to the apartment, but instead found it there when Slack threatened him.

Sex for drugs

Defense attorney Josh Cuevas said his client was involved in an agreement to trade sexual favors for drugs.

Spearman had allegedly gotten drugs from Slack several times and owed him money. So on Aug. 10, 2021, Cuevas claimed Slack struck a deal for some fentanyl.

After smoking the drug, Spearman handed over $4 to $5, but Slack wasn’t happy with that.

“He forced himself on Anthony. During the struggle, Anthony felt a firearm. The same revolver that was described earlier,” he said.

Slack went to his couch and got the machete, Cuevas said, and Spearman fired in response.

“But the struggle was not over after the gun had been emptied,” Cuevas said. “Mr. Slack was still menacing him and Anthony used the couch as a barrier between him and Mr. Slack.”

He wrestled the machete free and fled, Cuevas said.

Cuevas also said that there was DNA from Spearman and Slack on the machete and the revolver. But only Slack’s DNA was found on the inside of the revolver.

Testimony is set to begin Thursday in Benton County Superior Court in Kennewick.