UPDATED: Multnomah Jury Awards $21.25 Million for 2021 Wrongful Death at Delta Park
TMT Development found most negligent in Freddy Nelson, Jr.’s murder; Cornerstone and Gimbel negligent and reckless
After two weeks of trial, a Portland jury handed down a $21.25 million verdict today against multiple defendants, for the May 29, 2021 shooting death of Freddy Nelson, Jr., and the injuries to his wife Kari.
TMT, Cornerstone Security Group, Lowe’s, shooter Logan Gimbel, and victim Nelson, were all found to be negligent; and all but TMT were found to be reckless. TMT and Cornerstone were not found to be jointly liable.
Expressed as percentages, TMT was found to be most negligent (80%). Several current and former employees — including President and CEO Vanessa Sturgeon — gave testimony that strained credibility. The jury’s decision sent a clear message: The Nelsons’ nightmare “started and ended with TMT.”
The award was a fraction of the $90 million requested by plaintiffs for compensatory damages, and seems to reflect that the defense’s repellant attacks against Nelson’s character made some impression on the jurors. The attorneys’ efforts appeared to have been well-coordinated, eerily mirroring the tag-team harassment that Nelson suffered by the defendants in his last months of life.
UPDATE:
The jury met today for additional proceedings regarding punitive damages, and assigned a percentage to each of the defendants, regarding compensatory damages.
Plaintiff’s attorney argued for the deterring effect that punitive damages have, stating, “You have to send a message. [Cornerstone owner’s] have learned nothing from the last three and a half years. All they did in this case was come in and try and pretend that this killing — which was on video — was somehow Mr. Nelson’s fault, or somebody else’s fault.”
He added that they have done nothing but “come in and make excuses [and] trash this family as much as they possibly could. That was their defense. So, deter them, with your verdict. And the way you deter companies and wrongdoers is by money. Unfortunately, that is the answer.”
The jury came back with just $625,000 each for Kari Nelson and for the Estate of Freddy Nelson, Jr.:
