FLYING
FLYING AT
FLYING AT A MEMORIAL OUTSIDE THE COFFEE SHOP FOR OFFICERS.
>>> EVEN AFTER TEN YEARS,
FAMILIES OF THE OFFICERS ARE
STILL HURTING AND STILL
FRUSTRATED BY THE LONG LEGAL
PROCESS.
PROCESS.
PROCESS. SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE
CONVICTED BUT THERE'S STILL ONE
LOOSE END.
LOOSE END. >> Reporter: SEATTLE, DECEMBER
1st, 2009.
1st, 2009. THE MIDDLE OF THE
NIGHT.
NIGHT.
NIGHT. LESS THAN TWO DAYS AFTER
THE LAKEWOOD FOUR SHOOTING, THE
SUSPECT MAURICE CLEMONS WAS SHOT
AND KILLED BY A SEATTLE POLICE
OFFICER.
OFFICER.
OFFICER. THE MASSIVE MANHUNT WAS
OVER.
OVER.
OVER. >>
OVER. >> WHATEVER AMOUNT OF RELIEF
THERE WAS QUICKLY DISSIPATED AND
WENT BACK TO THIS SENSE OF LOSS.
AND ANGER.
AND ANGER. >> Reporter: AND LAKEWOOD POLICE
CHIEF MIKE ZARO SAYS SOME OF
THAT WAS AIMED AT LOOKING FOR
CLEMONS AFTER THE FACT.
THERE
THERE
THERE WERE A SLEW OF CHARGES AGAINST
SEVEN PEOPLE.
SEVEN PEOPLE. THE PROSECUTORS
THE PROSECUTORS OFFICE FOUGHT FOR MAXIMUM TIME
FOR ANYONE WHO AIDED CLEMENS IN
HIS POLICE OFFICER
ASSASSINATION.
ASSASSINATION. OF THE SEVEN, ONE
WAS ACQUITTED AFTER SEARCHING A
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. FIVE OTHERS HAD THEIR
SENTENCES OVERTURNED OR REDUCED
AND GOT OUT EARLY.
SO ALL OF HIS
ACCOMPLICES ARE OUT OF PRISON.
EXCEPT THIS ONE.
ALLEGED GETAWAY
ALLEGED GETAWAY
>>
>> THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT HE KNEW, IF NOT AT THE
TIME, DEFINITELY IMMEDIATELY
AFTERWARD.
AFTERWARD. >> Reporter: ALLEN HAS BEEN
LOCKED UP FOR TEN YEARS.
AND THE
AND THE
AND THE FAMILIES WANT TO KEEP IT THAT
WAY.
WAY.
WAY. A
WAY. A JUDGE SENTENCED HIM TO
420 YEARS IN PRISON.
ANY
ANY
ANY SATISFACTION THE FAMILIES MIGHT
HAVE GOTTEN FROM THAT WAS SHORT
LIVED AS THE CASE WAS APPEALED
TO THE HIGHEST COURT.
AND THAT'S
AND THAT'S WHERE THE PROSECUTION'S CASE
BEGAN TO UNRAVEL.
>> IT WOULD BE NICE TO PUT THIS
TO BED.
TO BED.
TO BED. >> WE'LL BE GLAD WHEN THE TRIAL
IS OVER.
IS OVER.
IS OVER. WE WANT TO GIVE THE
FAMILY CLOSURE.
FAMILY CLOSURE. >> Reporter: MARY ROBBET WAS THE
CHIEF PROSECUTOR AT THE TIME.
>> I CAN'T EVEN ESTIMATE HOW
MANY PROSECUTORS WERE WORKING
THAT DAY.
THAT DAY.
THAT DAY. IT WAS JUST BEDLAM AT
THE SCENE.
THE SCENE. BUT THEY WANTED A
PROSECUTOR THERE TO HELP WITH
ADVICE ABOUT SEARCH WARRANTS AND
PHONE TAPS AND THAT TYPE OF
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> Reporter: THE PROSECUTOR'S
OFFICE BEGAN BUILDING THEIR CASE
FROM DAY 1. THE FIRST CASE
SEEMED SOLID.
SEEMED SOLID. EVIDENCE SHOWS HE
WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK THAT
MORNING.
MORNING.
MORNING. BUT THE QUESTION IS
WHETHER HE KNEW ABOUT CLEMENS'
PLANS.
PLANS.
PLANS. THE PROSECUTOR'S ARGUMENT
WAS HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.
BUT
BUT
BUT THE
BUT THE SUPREME COURT WEIGHED IN AND
DISAGREED WITH THE LOWER KERTS,
SAYING IT WASN'T A MATTER OF
WHETHER ALLEN COULD HAVE KNOWN
OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN.
THE
THE
THE AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES ONLY
APPLIED IF HE DID KNOW.
JUSTICES
JUSTICES
JUSTICES OVERTURNED THE VERDICT, THREW
OUT THE AGGRAVATED CHARGES AND
CALL FORWARD A NEW TRIAL.
FINDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE
PROSECUTORING ATTORNEY'S
PROSECUTORING ATTORNEY'S STATEMENTS WERE IMPROPER.
AND
AND
AND THE
AND THE JURY WAS INFLUENCED BY THE
IMPROPER STATEMENT OF LAW.
FAMILY HIS TO GEAR UP FOR A
SECOND TRIAL, WHICH CULMINATED
LAST DECEMBER, WITH THE HIGH
COURT ONCE AGAIN RULING AGAINST
THE LOWER COURTS.
THROWING OUT
THROWING OUT THE AGGRAVATED CHARGES ONCE AND
FOR ALL AND ORDERING A THIRD
TRIAL AGAINST ALLEN.
>> IT IS FRUSTRATING.
AND YOU
AND YOU
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS TO
BE ABLE TO -- I WANT TO SAY MOVE
ON.
ON.
ON. BUT
ON. BUT THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT
THERE'S SOME CLOSURE.
AND
AND
AND THEY'RE JUST NOT -- IT'S TEN
YEARS LATER AND THEY DON'T HAVE
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> I'M GONNA SAY I SHARE IN THE
FAMILY'S FRUSTRATION.
FAMILY'S FRUSTRATION. I CAN'T
I CAN'T
I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT THIS MUST
BE FOR THEM.
FACING ANOTHER
FACING ANOTHER TRIAL.
TRIAL.
TRIAL. TEN YEARS AFTER THE FACT.
>> ALLEN HEADS BACK TO COURT IN
FEBRUARY FOR HIS THIRD TRIAL.
THIS TIME THE AGGRAVATING
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE OFF THE TABLE,
BUT IF HE'S CONVICTED, HE COULD
STILL SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE
LOCKED UP.
LOCKED UP. COMING UP, A LOOK AT
HOW LAKEWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT
HAS BED FROM THAT DAY.
A LOT OF
A LOT OF
A LOT OF HEALING TAKING PLACE.
>> SINCE IT HAS BEEN A DECADE, A
FULL TEN YEARS, ARE THE FAMILIES
STILL FOLLOWING ALL OF THIS VERY
CLOSELY?
CLOSELY?
CLOSELY? >> I'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO REACH
OUT AND SPEAK WITH ONE PERSON.
THE CHIEF KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH
MOST OF THEM.
NONE OF THEM
WANTED TO BE INTERVIEWED ON
CAMERA.
CAMERA.
CAMERA. BUT I DID SIT DOWN WITH
ONE OF THIS THEM, AND SHE DOES
FOLLOW IT VERY CLOSELY.
AND
AND
AND THEY'RE ALL VERY FRUSTRATED.
BUT
BUT
BUT THEY
BUT THEY DON'T WANT ANY MEDIA
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION. THEY WOULD JUST LIKE
THE LEGAL