Hein acquitted of charges for shooting at car

PALMER — Clay Hein walked out of court a free man after a Palmer jury acquitted him of every count he faced springing from an April 2007 incident in which he shot up a Chevy Malibu with two men inside.

Hein, 20, of Wasilla, faced attempted murder and assault charges in the case.

After Tuesday’s verdict, a visibly relieved Hein hugged family members and shook his attorney’s hand.

“We’re just relieved it’s over with. It’s been 11 long months,” said Hein’s father, Melvin Hein.

“That’s how this should have turned out,” said Hein’s attorney, Josh Fannon.

The prosecutor in the case, Mike Walsh, had to run to another hearing and was not immediately available for comment.

The trooper who investigated the shooting, Sgt. Craig Allen, said afterward he was happy for Hein’s family.

“If I’m glad of anything it’s that they don’t have this hanging over their heads anymore,” Allen said.

The verdict was neither surprising nor expected, Allen said. “I don’t go into these things expecting anything.”

The shooting happened early in the morning after Hein and his roommate, Cord Lewis, went to meet Josh Bussell and Scott Payne to collect some money at the Trunk Road commuter parking lot, witnesses testified at trial.

Lewis testified that he jumped into the Malibu Bussell was driving and started punching Bussell, who put the car in reverse and made a quick getaway.

Hein fired numerous shots, six of which hit the Malibu, according to Fannon and Walsh.

But, Fannon argued the evidence showed that on his way out of the parking lot, Bussell’s car was pointed at Lewis, who had fallen to the ground. Hein shot at the car to get it to stop from running over his roommate, Fannon said.

Walsh, for his part, argued that the evidence showed Hein was guilty of trying to kill Bussell and Payne, that he had gone along to intimidate them and that the laser sight from his pistol could be seen tracking through the Malibu’s interior prior to Bussell’s departure.

Melvin Hein agreed with Fannon’s assessment.

“We knew in our hearts that he made a bad decision” by deciding to go with Lewis, Melvin Hein said, but “we knew he didn’t try to kill anyone or assault anyone. He was trying to help someone.”

Superior Court Judge Beverly Cutler, in thanking and dismissing the jury, said she hopes everyone learned a lesson from the case, “That we all do our personal best to get our young people to stay home after midnight.”

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.