JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Late Friday night a Jacksonville jury found Amanda Guthrie not guilty of aggravated manslaughter of a child, manslaughter, shooting or throwing deadly missiles, and armed possession of Marijuana.
She was found guilty of neglect by culpable negligence. A sentencing date for that charge is scheduled to happen on September 21.
Guthrie was on trial for the death of her 14-year-old daughter in 2021. Guthrie said the gun unintentionally discharged when she was taking the gun away from her child, who was playing with it at the time.
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The defense used a forensic expert who testified that the bullet deflected off the floor and hit Ayva Guthrie in the head.
Prosecutors countered his testimony with what Guthrie is heard saying on the 911 call and challenged what was documented at the scene.
“The jury obviously rejected the State’s arguments and felony charges and determined that this was not manslaughter and not gross and flagrant conduct, but misdemeanor culpable negligence,” said Richard Landes, Amanda Guthrie’s attorney.
Landes received a rude wake-up call Saturday morning when he saw headlines all over Jacksonville focusing on the minor crimes Guthrie was found guilty of.
“My frustration was the headlines were Amanda Guthrie, convicted of culpable negligence, as though that were a top count, when in fact I thought the headlines were going to be Amanda Guthrie acquitted of aggravated manslaughter of child manslaughter, shooting and throwing deadly missiles armed possession of marijuana all the top counts that the state attorney’s office filed in this case. So it appeared as though she were convicted of some top count or a felony when in fact that’s not the case,” Landes explained.
Landes said this was not an easy case to argue knowing that the jury would want justice for Ayva, but they learned in the end that the charges like aggravated manslaughter of a child were not warranted, concluding that this was a tragedy but not one she needed to face severe criminal charges for.
Landes also said Guthrie will just continue to live and work like she’s been doing for the past two and a half years but there was no high-fiving in the courtroom.
He said Guthrie still lost her daughter and misses her every day.