COLFAX — After more than four hours of deliberation, a Whitman County jury found a Pullman man guilty of killing his estranged wife last spring.
Jacob Spray, 37, was convicted of first-degree murder and first-degree rape Thursday afternoon. The verdict concludes a two-week jury trial held at Whitman County Superior Court that included 30-plus witnesses who testified against Spray.
A jury composed of 12 Whitman County residents debated Thursday afternoon before returning with the verdict. The trial began with 15 jurors, but one was excused and two others served as alternates and didn’t get to take part in the decision.
The verdict’s reading was tearfully received by many in the audience. A courtroom full of the victim’s family reacted emotionally when they heard Spray had been handed the maximum criminal convictions.
Spray was arrested in March last year for the murder of 25-year-old Jamie Wilson-Spray. Pullman Police Department officers responded to Sevdy’s Modern View Mobile Court on Fisk Street in Pullman after being made aware of a concerning phone call that ended with a scream.
Shortly after locating an unresponsive Wilson-Spray, authorities received a call from Spray’s father, who told police his son confessed to killing his wife.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Dan LeBeau said Spray’s obsession and possession over Wilson-Spray drove him to murdering and assaulting her.
The two had been married for seven years before Wilson-Spray started to pursue a divorce from Spray several weeks prior to her death. LeBeau said Spray couldn’t handle the thought of her moving on, and his fixation worsened after learning she had met someone the night before her death.
LeBeau said evidence undeniably showed Spray’s obsession with Wilson-Spray – a major one being that Spray installed a camera in her trailer without her knowledge, which his mother testified was “stalking.”
He added Spray had called Wilson-Spray 20 times the day she died, of which she declined 11. Wilson-Spray had sent a text to her sister, Jessica Schneider, that evening stating, “I just wish he would leave me alone.”
LeBeau said all evidence directly pointed to Spray. He had confessed to his father of murdering Wilson-Spray the night she died. Pullman Police Department detectives found his phone’s GPS data, and multiple witness testimonies, placed him at the murder scene for more than an hour, leaving only 15 minutes before authorities arrived. Forensic scientists had also determined his DNA on Wilson-Spray, and vice versa.
Whitman County Public Defender Steve Martonick said while the prosecution could have proved Spray’s motive for killing Wilson-Spray, what lacked was evidence of intent. He added Spray was upset about the separation because he loved Wilson-Spray, and had never threatened her.
Martonick’s argument often referenced Wilson-Spray’s personal life, and went as far to say she was “on a path to destruction.”
He contended she was a young woman living alone in a “run-down” trailer park. He said she was drawing a lot of attention to herself, and should have been more concerned about her safety.
Martonick questioned the reliability of some evidence. Some witness testimonies he said were “all over the place.” Detectives couldn’t verify how precise his phone’s GPS data was. And Martonick said Spray’s dad had “jumped to conclusions” when notifying police of his son’s confession.
He claimed Wilson-Spray had been sexually assaulted and murdered by two unknown men after Spray left her residence. He added an autopsy found two unidentified DNA samples on her body that law enforcement never found the source of.
LeBeau said countless hours went into the case that resulted in Spray’s conviction.
“He’s now facing 20-30 years in prison,” he said. “The state’s going to ask for the highest end.”
Spray is scheduled to be sentenced in March.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.