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Update: Stout Guilty of

196 views · Published 12 September 2012 · 2:26 · Indexed 28 October 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

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by John Madewell  Hamilton County jurors decided Myles Stout was NOT guilty of second degree murder when he shot Myles Compton in the chest when six young adults got together at a friend's home.But that same jury found Stout guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide and also reckless endangerment.The lesser conviction will mean a much lighter sentence.For Stout, a second degree murder conviction has a sentence of 15 to 25 years. Instead, his attorneys say, he falls into a range of two to four years.The jury deemed Stout's behavior with a loaded gun reckless to Compton and reckless to the other four young people in a bedroom that night.Stout's attorney Hank Hill believes one piece of video brought the less severe conviction. This morning, the jury wanted to see Stout's interview with an investigator again. In that interview with Detective David Sowder of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office,  Stout first said Compton shot himself.But then he became emotional and admitted to shooting Compton -- saying over and over it was an accident. Hill said that interview was cruicial. "Mr. Stout was able to tell the jury through his statement with Detective Sowder that he didn't know the gun was loaded, that he didn't rack the clip, that he didn't put the clip in. Yeah, it's important," Hill said.On that March 9, 2011 evening, Compton and his close friend Kevin West were the last to arrive at Kevin Driscoll's home.Two guns came out. Stout, Driscoll and West handled the guns in Driscoll's bedroom - his parents weren't home. Amanda Freeman, Driscoll's girlfriend at the time, was also in the room. Compton wanted no part of the guns and told Stout not to point the Sig .40 at him. Freeman also told Stout to stop waving the gun around.And all along, Compton's parents never believed this was an accident.They felt Stout loaded the gun, pointed it and point-blank shot their son. This afternoon they seemed upset by the verdict and didn't comment.Assistant District Attorney Lance Pope responded to the verdict. "It's a tough case, it's hard when the jury has to make determinations about  a young man's life. Given the proof in the case, I think the jury's outcome is a reasonable outcome," Pope said.NewsChannel 9 caught up with alternate juror Raymond Krause, who sat in on all six days. Krause said, "I felt like the strongest evidence was mostly the witnesses, what they had to say about it and just putting all their stories together to make a clear story of what actually happened."Testimony in this case dwelled on the two guns, predominantly on the Sig .40. Attorneys argued at length over who saw what in that room that night. On the witness stand, Freeman said she saw Stout "messing" with the gun, but no one ever testified they saw Stout load the gun.Throughout the trial, his defense never wavered. They maintained the young men were horseplaying and that Stout didn't know the gun was loaded. Hill indicated the jury's verdict spoke for itself. "The jury worked hard, we're satisfied with their verdict."Last year, Stout attended The Disciples of Christ Camp in Okeechobee, Florida. It's described as a halfway house for men age 18 to 25 with "life controlling problems."Hill said he didn't know if his time spent there would be factored into his final sentence.Stout's scheduled for sentencing on November 5th.

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