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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, November 20, 2008 Prosecutor says death was caused by paranoia By Diana Hefley Herald Writer EVERETT -- Forrest Starrett didn't know the rules of the drug world. The 48-year-old grandfather craved crack cocaine but asked the wrong person for a fix, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Lisa Paul told a jury Wednesday. The mistake cost him his life. A group of drug dealers and addicts thought Starrett was a cop. He was kidnapped at gunpoint, forced into his truck and shot twice in the leg, Paul said. A third shot struck him in the head. Starrett died Aug. 21, 2007, in the parking lot of a south Everett apartment. The murder trial of the two men accused of killing Starrett began Wednesday in Snohomish County Superior Court. Steven Lee, 26, and Tsegazeab Zerahaimanot, 24, are charged with first-degree murder with a firearm. The men are accused of shooting Starrett after they became paranoid that the Marysville man was an undercover police officer investigating their involvement in drug trafficking, according to charging papers. The men deny killing Starrett. Their attorneys Wednesday told the jury there isn't any evidence that connects their clients to the crime. They say prosecutors are relying on the testimony of drug addicts with a history of lying to authorities. The trial is expected to last up to a month. County marshals have increased security for the proceedings. Spectators, who must pass through the metal detector at the courthouse entrance, also are being inspected outside the courtroom before being allowed inside. Prosecutors initially asked Superior Court Judge Michael Downes to require anyone who entered the courtroom to show identification and sign a registry. They argued that they were concerned some spectators would attempt to intimidate some of the witnesses testifying against the defendants. Downes denied the request but he warned courtroom spectators Wednesday that he would take action against anyone who attempted to influence jurors. Downes noted that some people who came to Wednesday's proceedings wore T-shirts reading "Free Steven Lee." The judge said he was banning anyone from wearing the shirts inside the courtroom. Starrett's wife Victoria was the first witness to take the stand. She told jurors that her life with her husband fell apart after he began using drugs just a year before he was killed. They were on the verge of divorce and Starrett had moved out of the family home. He had been a good husband, father and grandfather before he became consumed by drugs, his wife said. Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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