A Clark County Superior Court jury found a Vancouver man guilty of murder Wednesday in the shooting of his former girlfriend after less than a day of deliberations.
Austin J. Navarro, 32, was convicted of second-degree domestic violence murder and unlawful possession of a firearm in the August 2021 death of 27-year-old Inessa G. Kryshtal. Vancouver police found Kryshtal’s body inside her car in a central Vancouver Chevron parking lot.
Navarro did not appear to react as Judge John Fairgrieve read the jury’s verdict forms, and all 12 jurors agreed with the verdict.
Trial observers cried and hugged outside the courtroom after the verdict was read.
Navarro is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 29.
During closing arguments Tuesday, Deputy Prosecutor Kelly Ryan told jurors Navarro’s actions show he intended to fatally shoot Kryshtal.
The two had met at the Chevron gas station at 4100 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., so Navarro could retrieve some belongings from her.
Navarro testified Monday he was armed because of his former gang affiliation and knowledge that their meeting spot was frequented by gang members. He said he dropped the gun and it accidently fired as he tried to catch it.
Ryan described Navarro’s version of the incident as “magical.” He said the bullet went through the gap of the passenger’s side window — which was rolled down about an inch — because the glass was still intact.
Navarro’s defense attorney, Josephine Townsend, told jurors to find him guilty of the unlawful firearm possession charge because he had a gun and was a convicted felon. But Navarro shouldn’t be found guilty of murder, she said. Townsend asked the jurors to find him to have been reckless, making him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
