Becky James, the woman accused of shooting Ganas member Jeff Gross, was aquitted on all charges by a New York Jury.
A woman was cleared of all charges Monday in the shooting of a commune founder nearly killed by a shadowy figure on the stairwell of his compound.
The jury took less than five hours to acquit Rebekah Johnson of attempted murder and lesser charges in the May 2006 shooting of Jeffrey Gross. Johnson disappeared for nearly a year after the attack, setting off a huge manhunt and garnering five appearances on Fox’s “America’s Most Wanted.”
If convicted, Johnson had faced up to 25 years in prison.
On May 29, 2006, Gross returned home from a movie, and in the dull light of a nearby lamp, he saw a gun pointed at him. He was shot six times, prosecutors said. The shooter apparently stepped over Gross before walking away.
Gross was convinced that Johnson fired the shots. Prosecutors said he was capable of identifying Johnson because he’d known her nearly 20 years, even though the stairwell was barely lit the night of the shooting.
