After two years of hearings, motions and a pandemic, the trial of Christopher Smelser ended abruptly Thursday when the judge declared the defendant not guilty. Las Cruces Sun-News public safety reporter Justin Garcia sits down with KSFR to discuss the trail proceedings, the abrupt ending, and where things go from here.
Las Cruces Sun-News' Justin Garcia discusses the direct verdict in the second-degree murder trial of former LCPD officer
![Christopher Smelser in court on Monday, July 11, 2022](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b302802/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1015x571+0+0/resize/880x495!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb2%2F16%2F767604644874aae69e53dce2e6bd%2F927996f9-f3ee-4795-9a89-be82dda3b4d2-large16x9-thumb-33909.png)
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