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A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 Jury acquits former Chinook man accused of murder in second trial IN BRIEF South Jetty work to close observation tower Work on the South Jetty will temporarily close access to the observation tower in Fort Stevens State Park’s Lot C beginning April 19. The heavy equipment being used to repair the jetty near the tower poses a public safety risk, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is tasked with maintaining the jetty systems at the mouth of the Columbia River. A portion of the Oregon Coast Trail that begins at the jetty and runs past the observation tower will also be closed as work continues landward. How- ever, people can still access the trail from the state park’s Lot B farther south. Bathrooms at Lot C, the lot that provides access to South Jetty and the observation tower, will remain open. The Columbia River jetty system, constructed between 1885 and 1939, allows for safer passage for vessels moving between the ocean and the river. Trail Blazers, Moda Health assist Violet LaPlante Park Every assist by the Portland Trail Blazers basket- ball team in the 2020-21 regular season means $20 toward the eff ort to install an all-abilities playground at Violet LaPlante Park in Astoria. The Moda Assist Program, a health initiative run by the basketball team and insurer Moda Health, chose the Astoria park over projects in St. Hel- ens and Sandy after a yearlong voting campaign. The Trail Blazers had amassed 1,019 assists as of Wednesday with 22 games to go. “Violet LaPlante Park is long overdue for new playground equipment to replace the few, very old items there now,” Mayor Bruce Jones said in a state- ment. “This upgrade will off er a tremendous benefi t to local families. I thank the Moda and Trail Blazers organizations for their generosity. I can’t wait to see kids enjoying the new playground equipment.” The city campaigned for the park because of its centralized location for residents in eastern neigh- borhoods like Alderbrook, Uppertown and the Emer- ald Heights Apartments. The Parks and Recreation Department plans to install a natural-themed climb- ing and play system. “Through this trying time during which we all have been reminded of the critical role that access to the outdoors plays in building healthy communities, we’re reminded that playgrounds are key contribu- tors to children’s emotional and physical health,” Dr. William Johnson, president of Moda Health, said in the statement. After the regular season ends in May, the city will begin design and construction planning based on the funds available. The playground is anticipated to break ground in the fall and open in January. — The Astorian DEATHS April 6, 2021 In COMO, Brief William Lee Jr., 64, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Death Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. April 5, 2021 KNUTINEN, Lee E., 81, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Ocean View Funeral & Crema- tion Service of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. WESTERLUND, Kay Marie, 63, of Knappa, died in Knappa. Cald- well’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. By GARRETT ANDREWS The Bulletin REDMOND — First, he was called an accused mur- derer. Then, a convicted murderer and state prison inmate working on a life sentence. On Monday, Luke Anton Wirkkala learned he’d earned a new title. Free man. “I’m just trying to take it all in,” Wirkkala said min- utes after emerging from the Deschutes County jail, a smile overtaking his face. “It feels a little surreal. Eight long years.” A half-hour earlier, a jury found Wirkkala, 40, not guilty in the death of David Andrew Ryder, a houseguest Wirkkala had shot at close range with a pump-action shotgun in 2013. Jurors also acquitted Wirkkala on lesser counts of fi rst-degree man- slaughter and second-degree manslaughter. They reached all verdicts by votes of 10 to 2. Wirkkala is from Chi- nook, Washington, and moved to Bend in 2012. It was Wirkkala’s sec- ond murder trial for Ryder’s death — he was convicted in 2014, but the Oregon Court of Appeals ordered a retrial because the origi- nal jury heard portions of a police interview after Wirk- kala had invoked his right to an attorney. The retrial in a makeshift courtroom at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center was a dry and, at times, emo- tional four-week aff air. The defense argued Wirk- kala acted in self-defense when he shot Ryder. The state, represented by the Oregon Department of Justice, asked jurors to convict because Wirkkala’s account, as prosecutor Kris- ten Hoff meyer said repeat- edly, “simply could not be believed.” All 12 jurors declined requests to explain their votes. One said only the state hadn’t made its case. Representatives of Ryder’s family also declined to comment. Many of the witnesses were back from the fi rst trial and off ered, in large part, the same testimony, the facts of the case remaining essen- tially the same. Wirkkala and Ryder were friends, though not good friends, having only hung out a handful of times. Wirk- Garrett Andrews/The Bulletin Luke Wirkkala greets supporters on Monday outside the Deschutes County jail. ‘I TOLD MYSELF IF I DIDN’T COME OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE A BETTER PERSON THAN WHEN I WENT IN, THEN I’VE FAILED. I FEEL LIKE I’VE BECOME A STRONGER PERSON BECAUSE OF THIS. AND I’LL NEVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED, THAT’S FOR ABSOLUTE SURE.’ Luke Wirkkala kala and his then-girlfriend tried to wrangle friends to attend a Super Bowl party at the Hideaway Tavern in Bend, but in the end, every- one backed out except Ryder. Wirkkala testifi ed he drank throughout that day — before and throughout the game and then back at his house, where he and Ryder drank a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Wirkkala’s girlfriend, her son and her nephew went to bed between 10 and 10:30 p.m. Around 2:30 a.m. they were awoken by a shot- gun blast in the living room. Police arrived to fi nd Ryder dead on the fl oor inside, Wirkkala sobbing nearby. Then-Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty charged Wirkkala with murder, and the case went to trial in 2014. Wirkkala always said he awoke that night to Ryder sexually assaulting him. He retrieved his shotgun from his bedroom, returned to the living room and ordered Ryder to leave. Wirkkala said he racked a shell to show Ryder he was serious but instead a “twisted smirk” crossed Ryder’s face and he charged Wirkkala, forcing him to fi re. The original jury did not accept that explanation and voted to convict. In 2018, the Court of Appeals vacated his conviction. It’s customary for court- room attendees to stand when a jury enters and exits a courtroom. On Monday, after Deschutes County Cir- cuit Judge Randy Miller excused the jury from ser- vice, Wirkkala was fi rst to stand. He steepled his fi ngers before his chest and rocked his hands back and forth, as if saying “thank you.” Miller told the onetime defendant: “Mr. Wirkkala, you are free to go.” From there, guards took Wirkkala from Red- mond back to the Deschutes County jail in Bend. They wheeled out a tub contain- ing Wirkkala’s belongings, including the fl ip phone seized when he was arrested in 2013. Around a dozen well-wishers were there to greet him and take pictures. Many had supported him through his fi rst trial. The party intended to caravan to Portland, where Wirkkala hoped to eat a “real” meal for dinner after years of jail food. As for what’s after that, Wirkkala said, “life begins at 40.” He’d like to resume writing and photography, which he pursued prior to his conviction. He hopes to publish a book he started in prison about his experience being wrongfully accused. He thanked God, his family and friends who sup- ported him, his attorneys Thad Betz and Joel Wirtz, and the jury. He said that while locked up, he committed to pursu- ing positive growth. “I told myself if I didn’t come out of this experi- ence a better person than when I went in, then I’ve failed,” he said. “I feel like I’ve become a stronger per- son because of this. And I’ll never take anything for granted, that’s for absolute sure.” ON THE RECORD DUII nue after observing him Pesticide use falls but harms pollinators more On • Seth the Timothy Record Mor- drive recklessly and lose gan, 26, of Astoria, was control of his vehicle. arrested Monday for While stopped, someone driving under the infl u- in the parking lot of the ence of intoxicants, Astoria Mini Mart began reckless driving, men- heckling Morgan. Later, acing, disorderly con- when the person drove duct in the second degree out of the parking lot, and unlawful use of Morgan reportedly ran MEETINGS a PUBLIC stun gun. An offi cer toward the vehicle and stopped Morgan at about activated a stun gun. The 7:50 p.m. near W. Marine offi cer pulled his gun and Drive and Hume Ave- restrained Morgan. PUBLIC MEETINGS THURSDAY Seaside Civic and Convention Center Commission, 5 p.m., Seaside Civic and Convention Center, 415 First Ave. Gearhart Planning Commission, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting). Warrenton Planning Commission, 6 p.m., (electronic meeting). Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Circulation phone number: 800-781-3214 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2021 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective January 12, 2021 MAIL EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$10.75 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.25 By SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press American farmers are using smaller amounts of better targeted pesticides, but these are harming pollina- tors, aquatic insects and some plants far more than decades ago, a new study fi nds. Toxicity levels have more than doubled since 2005 for important species, including honeybees, mayfl ies and but- tercup fl owers, as the country switched to a new generation of pesticides. But dangerous chemical levels in birds and mammals have plummeted at the same time, according to a paper this month in the jour- nal Science. “The bottom line is that these pesticides, once believed to be relatively benign and so short-lived that they would not damage eco- systems, are anything but,” said Dr. Lynn Goldman, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency assistant administrator for toxic sub- stances who wasn’t part of the study and is now dean of George Washington Univer- sity’s school of public health. German scientists exam- ined 381 pesticides used in the United States between 1992 and 2016, combining EPA data that calculates toxic dosage eff ects for eight types of animals and plants with U.S. Geological Survey data on how much of the chemi- Associated Press A helicopter prepares to apply pesticides. cals were used year by year for dozens of agricultural crops. The scientists calcu- lated a new measurement they call total applied toxic- ity for the eight groupings of species and trends over time. “Very often politicians, media, scientists just talk about amounts. They always argue, ‘OK, the amount pes- ticides we use is reduced so things are getting better’ and this is not necessarily true,” said lead author Ralf Schulz, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Kolenz-Landau. “It’s some- times true, but not always.” Industry keeps develop- ing new pesticides and “very often these new compounds are more toxic,” Schulz said. They include neonicot- inoids, which have been con- nected to one of the many causes of dwindling honey- bee numbers. The newer pesticides are aimed more toward animals without backbones to spare birds and mammals, but this means insects such as polli- nators get poisoned, Schulz said. The same goes for some land plants and for aquatic invertebrates including drag- onfl ies and mayfl ies, which birds and mammals eat, he said, adding that future stud- ies should look at the harm higher up the food chain. Chris Novak, president of the pesticide industry group CropLife America, said in an email that “it is critical to note that the study found great reductions in acute tox- icity have been achieved for humans and mammals over the past few decades.” Novak noted pesticides go through extensive stud- ies and “only one in 10,000 discoveries make the 11-year journey from the lab to the market.” It’s not surprising that newer generations of pes- ticides generally are more harmful to insects, which are undergoing a massive decline for many reasons, said Uni- versity of Connecticut ento- mologist David Wagner, who wasn’t part of the study. But Wagner said this newest research doesn’t provide data needed to show “that pesti- cides are the major driver of insect declines.”