The Slatest

Jury Acquits Texas Man Who Shot and Killed Craigslist Escort Who Wouldn’t Have Sex With Him

The office of online site Craigslist is seen March 10, 2006 in San Francisco

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

I’m not even sure where to begin with this one so for now I’ll just point you in the direction of the San Antonio Express-News, which has the almost unbelievable story:

A Bexar County jury on Wednesday acquitted Ezekiel Gilbert of murder in the death of a 23-year-old Craigslist escort.

During closing arguments Tuesday, Gilbert’s defense team conceded the shooting did occur but said the intent wasn’t to kill. Gilbert’s actions were justified, they argued, because he was trying to retrieve stolen property: the $150 he paid Frago. It became theft when she refused to have sex with him or give the money back, they said. … The Texas law that allows people to use deadly force to recover property during a nighttime theft was put in place for “law-abiding” citizens, prosecutors Matt Lovell and Jessica Schulze countered. It’s not intended for someone trying to force another person into an illegal act such as prostitution, they argued.

If Gilbert would have been convicted he could have faced life in prison for the death of Lenora Ivie Frago, who he admits he shot in the neck on Christmas Eve 2009. Frago was paralyzed by the gunshot, and eventually died about seven months later. Head on over to the Express-News for more, although I doubt the whole thing will make much more sense after you do.