Deptford cop guilty in killing of friend he said was accident

A Deptford police officer who fatally shot a friend of his in 2013 was found guilty Thursday of one count of murder and one of aggravated manslaughter.

The jury's verdict followed nearly 13 hours of deliberation Tuesday and Thursday. Jurors spent about two of those hours re-watching and hearing the testimony of James Stuart, 31, who was off duty when he shot David Compton, 27, in the face early Jan. 5, 2013.

"We're just so grateful that the jury did not believe the lies that were told by Mr. Stuart," said Compton's mother, Maureen.

John Eastlack Jr., Stuart's lawyer, had called the shooting a "horrible, tragic accident" and said Stuart did not know that the .40-caliber Glock pistol he was holding was loaded. The single gunshot was fired at Stuart's Deptford home, where he and Compton had gone to watch a movie after a night out at the Sewell bar Lazy Lanigan's.

Gloucester County Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton had said that Stuart was reckless in bringing out a gun while drinking and that Stuart should have known better as a police officer.

Stuart displayed little emotion at the verdict. His brother buried his face into his hands afterward, and his mother wiped away tears. Once the jury left, Compton's parents, Maureen and Bill, embraced relatives and friends.

Stuart's bail was revoked and he was taken into custody. He faces a sentence of 30 years to life. His relatives did not speak as they left the Gloucester County Justice Complex.

Stuart faced two counts of murder. He was found not guilty on the first count, purposely murdering Compton, but guilty on the second - knowingly murdering Compton. That means the jury believed that, although Stuart did not intend to kill Compton, he knew his conduct would lead to Compton's death.

Compton's and Stuart's families attended much of the trial, which began Sept. 15 and included testimony from the lead investigator and a dispatcher who answered Stuart's call the night of the shooting.

"We waited a really long time for the truth to come out," Tracey Sharpe, Compton's sister, said after the verdict.

Bill Compton, reading from a statement, recalled the many words David's friends used to describe him, such as charismatic, engaging, and irreplaceable.

"Dave lived every day with passion for life," Bill Compton said. "And we want him to be remembered that way."

David Compton lived in South Philadelphia and was a mechanical engineer. Maureen and Bill Compton, who are from Woodbury, adopted him as an infant from South Korea.

Eastlack, Stuart's lawyer, tried to portray Stuart and Compton as two close friends who were having an innocent night out, filled with beers and dancing.

Stuart and Compton had known each other since high school, with Stuart graduating from Deptford High and Compton from Woodbury. Stuart had testified that Compton became "a core part of our group" after the two met at a party.

The night of the shooting, the two men returned to Stuart's Deptford home to watch the movie Judge Dredd.

In a call to his department after the shooting, Stuart said Compton was "playing with one of my weapons," but did not say who fired the shot.

Eastlack said Stuart did everything he could to save Compton, including putting pressure on his face.

Detectives said that Stuart moved the gun - his off-duty service weapon - before they arrived and that his blood alcohol content, measured four hours after the shooting, was 0.14 - higher than the 0.08 level at which a motorist is guilty of drunken driving in New Jersey.

Compton died on Jan. 11, six days after the shooting, after being taken off life support.

Stuart is suspended without pay from his police department, where he had been for five years at the time of the shooting.

Deptford Police Chief William Hanstein did not return a request for comment after the verdict.

Superior Court Judge Robert Becker scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18.

mboren@phillynews.com

856-779-3829 @borenmc