Victims, Public Yearning For Closure

For weeks, they waited, hoping for a decision one way or another.

And now what? A big question mark and more waiting.

In a society constantly searching for closure, the victims, friends and family members affected by the Spokane Valley bombings and robberies found out Wednesday that this trial’s ending means another beginning.

The jury convicted Charles Barbee, Robert Berry and Verne Jay Merrell on minor charges but deadlocked on the bombing and robbery charges.

Most likely, that means another trial.

“A hung jury verdict isn’t a resolution,” said Norman Gissell, president of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations and the lawyer for a key witness granted federal protection because of his testimony.

“Everybody gets to do it all over again.”

The courtroom of U.S. District Judge Frem Nielsen was quiet as the verdicts were announced Monday, a repetitive list of “no decisions” that left some people gasping.

The family and friends of the three defendants sat in a single row. They didn’t want to talk about their reaction to the jury’s decision.

But after the verdict, as the judge read instructions to the jury and thanked its members, Barbee’s daughter leaned toward her mother, Carolyn Barbee.

“Is he gonna come home?” the little girl asked.

“No,” Carolyn Barbee said.

Her daughter put her head down and her hands over her eyes. Her lips quivered.

The corporate victims of the bombings were tight-lipped, using company shields to protect employees who witnessed the crimes.

Valley offices of The Spokesman-Review and U.S. Bank were bombed on April 1, 1996, and the bank was also robbed. A Valley Planned Parenthood office was bombed July 12, and the same U.S. Bank branch was robbed.

Employees “really want to put it behind them,” said Cindy Duryee, U.S. Bank spokeswoman in Seattle. “I think you can understand that.”

The Spokesman-Review and U.S. Bank released brief company statements.

“We, like everyone in the Spokane community, are waiting to see what the next step will be and are certainly very appreciative to everyone who’s contributed to the case,” U.S. Bank’s statement read.

The Spokesman-Review decried the bombing and urged the government to move quickly in its investigation.

“We continue to hope for the speedy resolution of the bombing incidents and for the conviction of the guilty parties,” the newspaper said.

Planned Parenthood officials said they were upset the men were not convicted of bombing their Valley clinic, set to re-open this summer after security improvements.

“They were not found innocent either,” said John Nugent, the new executive director of Planned Parenthood for Spokane and Whitman counties. “We hope they will be retried.”

Nugent said the clinic supports law enforcement in bringing the charges in the first place.

Gayle Ekins, president of the Planned Parenthood board, has personal experience with the jury system. She served on a jury about six years ago that considered the fate of a man charged with selling drugs.

The jury deadlocked. Roger Peven was the young man’s defense attorney. Peven is now Barbee’s lawyer.

“This is just a little bit deja vu,” Ekins said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by Charles Waltmire