WHAT’S THE VERDICT?
Paula Zumberge was acquitted of aiding and abetting murder and assault.
Her case was decided by Ramsey County District Judge Marek, who ordered she be released from custody immediately.
In a written verdict, the judge declared, The State did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant spoke any words of encouragement to Neal Zumberge either before or during the shootings.
The judge said that while Paula Zumberge initiated a verbal altercation with Jennifer DamerowCleven on the night of the shooting, there was no conclusive evidence for the notion that she had an ulterior motive.
The judge added that, while she should have stayed at the scene after the shooting rather than driving away, she was not guilty of any crime.
The following year, in August 2015, Neal Zumberge, then 57, stood trial for firstdegree murder, rather than the original charge of seconddegree murder, along with attempted murder.
He was convicted of both charges, with Ramsey County prosecutor Anna Christie telling the court that Neal Zumberge fully intended to kill his neighbour after 15 years of disputes.
‘He had been waiting for an opportunity to end this,’ she said.
Zumberge was given a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole.