Gun Dealer Cleared|in Murder Case

JUNEAU (CN) - An Alaskan gun dealer is not liable for the death of a man whom a meth-addicted fugitive killed with a gun he got from his store, a jury ruled.

A Juneau Superior Court jury on Monday found the gunman, Jason Coday, 100 percent responsible for the death of 26-year-old Simon Kim, in 2006. It cleared gun dealer Ray Coxe of responsibility, though prosecutors cited a list of irregularities at Coxe's store during the two-week trial.

Coxe's federal firearms license was revoked in 2014.

The Kim family, who sued Coxe in 2008, cited evidence that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms found that more than 200 guns had been reported missing or stolen from Coxe's store, Rayco Sales.

In revoking his license, the BATF said in a letter that Coxe had "repeatedly and willfully violated provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968 by failing to record gun sales, conduct criminal background checks and fill out proper ATF paperwork," according to the Juneau Empire newspaper.

Coday is serving a 101-year sentence for first-degree murder. When he killed Kim with the rifle to get at Coxe's store it was Juneau's first murder in 5 years.

After talking with Coxe, Coday took the 10/22 semi-automatic rifle from his store and left two $100 bills on the counter.

Coxe claimed that the transaction was not recorded because one of his video cameras was broken and an employee forgot to change the tape in the other one.

The Kims claimed he destroyed the videos to hide evidence that he sold the rifle subjecting Coday to a background check.

Coxe, 82, can no longer sell guns.

The jury awarded Kim's family $10 million in damages from Coday, which it is unlikely to collect.

The Brady Campaign denounced the verdict, and Coxe.

"Five percent of gun dealers in America are responsible for selling 90 percent of crime guns," Brady Campaign president Dan Gross said. "The goal of Brady's national campaign to Stop Bad Apple Gun Dealers is to force those 'bad apples' to adopt a simple and reasonable code of conduct or to force them out of business.

"We are extremely disappointed that the Alaska jury in this case did not decide to hold Ray Coxe accountable for his outrageous and reckless behavior. Fortunately, though, federal authorities have decided to act and have very rightfully revoked his license to sell guns."

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