P-J photo by Jordan Patterson

MAYVILLE — A Jamestown man accused of shooting and killing another city resident during an argument last July has been found guilty of second-degree murder.

The verdict was read aloud Thursday morning, a day after receiving instructions from Chautauqua County Court Judge David Foley. The trial went for about two and a half weeks, with District Attorney Patrick Swanson prosecuting and Public Defender Ned Barone representing Waggoner.

The verdict came a day after the jury began deliberating.

Waggoner is accused of shooting 30-year-old William J. Michishima in front of 114 Livingston Ave. in Jamestown on July 24, 2018. Michishima was taken to an Erie, Pa., hospital where he died the following day.

Barone had maintained that Waggoner’s actions were in response to Michishima’s aggression that led to the shooting. Barone’s opening statement emphasized that Waggoner reacted to a “life and death” situation, and he has continued to push the narrative that Waggoner was left with no other options.

The jury, however, did not see things that way.

“I’m elated. I can breathe now,” said Michishima’s mother, Jessie, when reached by phone following the verdict. “I thank God for Patrick Swanson. I’ve been praying for him for the last seven days.”

Jessie Michishima said she was able to attend a few early days of the trial but was advised by her doctor to stay away from Mayville due to the stress the trial had on her. She said she’s happy to know her son’s death “wasn’t in vain.”

“He paid for a motorcycle with his life,” she said. “And they also got two guns off the street. I’m happy.”

Swanson said he was pleased with the verdict and noted the amount of work put into the case by Jamestown police and his office.

“Right now we’re pleased with what the jury did,” Swanson told The Post-Journal. “Obviously JPD put a lot of time and effort into this case, as did our office. When you get a result like this, it’s a culmination of all that work, and I do want to send my appreciation out to the job well done by the Jamestown police (and) all of the people in my office that helped me get through this.

“This is a very difficult process to go through. It’s time consuming. … but really today we really feel that justice was served.”

Barone said he was disappointed by the verdict and will consider “filing an appeal if necessary.”

“Obviously, it’s always a disappointment of course when you believe that you may have been in a position to receive a different verdict,” Barone said. “However, we still strongly believe that we presented a case for justification and we’re of course disappointed with what the jury had decided.

“That’s what the jury’s about. They see things in a certain way. They take certain evidence into consideration. They don’t take certain evidence into consideration so it’s always difficult to say why they look at something differently than what you may have expected.”

Waggoner is scheduled to be sentenced Monday, June 10, in front of Foley. Waggoner faces a sentences of at least 15 years to a maximum of 25 years to life in prison.