A Seward man was acquitted on all charges in a double-homicide trial Monday and released from custody after spending nearly five years behind bars, his attorney said.
The trial that began Nov. 6 was the third held for Joseph Chandler after he was charged with first- and second-degree murder following a 2019 shooting, said public defender Nathan Lockwood.
Alaska State Troopers responded to Chandler’s property near Seward in April 2019 after he said he shot and killed Dustin Marx, 28, and Michael White, 40, inside their van after White threatened him during an argument, according to prior reports.
The first trial in the case began in January but attorneys were unable to find a suitable jury in Seward because so many people in the community were familiar with people involved in the case, Lockwood said. The trial was moved to Kenai but ended with a hung jury in March, he said.
Very little changed between the second and third trials, Lockwood said. He argued that Chandler acted in self-defense.
Chandler knew the men through mutual friends and had an “on-and-off” friendship with Marx, Lockwood said. There was tension in their friendship in part because Marx had stolen from Chandler in the past and both men were trespassed from his residence, he said.
When the men arrived at his home that evening, they threatened Chandler and Marx made gestures to indicate he was grabbing for a handgun, Lockwood said his client testified during the trial. Chandler believed he was in danger, so he shot Marx, then shot White as he dove into the back of the van and continued to threaten Chandler, according to Lockwood.
Investigators found neither of the men was armed. During the trial, Lockwood said Chandler testified about his remorse for the shooting but said he believed the shooting was justified at the time.
The jury began deliberating on Dec. 7 and returned their verdict Monday morning, the public defender said.
Lockwood said Chandler became emotional and hugged him after the jury left the courtroom. Chandler has been incarcerated since 2019.
“He’s a good man who made a reasonable mistake and I think, not just being locked away for five years, but also coming to grips with taking these two lives is something you can struggle with,” Lockwood said.
The Kenai assistant district attorney assigned to the case could not immediately be reached for this story.