3 found guilty of hate crimes in beatings

A jury of eight men and four women found three members of a white-supremacist group guilty Friday night on charges related to the 2002 beating of a bar manager, because he was of Hispanic descent, and for the beating of a Native American outside another bar three months later.

Family members of Shaun Walker, 39; Travis D. Massey, 30; and Eric G. Egbert, 22, cried as U.S. marshals placed each of the men in handcuffs to be held in custody pending sentencing in July. All face up to 20 years in federal prison. All were members of a group called the National Alliance, of which Walker was the national chairman. Massey was the local leader for Utah.

After spending five hours in deliberation, the jury was unanimous in its decision. "It was not an easy decision," said one female juror who appeared to have been crying as she was being escorted by an officer to her car. A male juror with her also said the decision was very emotional, but right. "I mean it wasn't easy, but it was the right thing to do." Both jurors said they believed the three men were intent on striking fear among Salt Lake City's minorities.

Outside the federal courthouse Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos Esqueda said these types of crimes are designed to spread hate and fear among members of the community. "This is the type of crime that affects the community," Esqueda told reporters. "I hope this sends the message to the community of Salt Lake that these are our streets, not their streets."

Walker, Massey and Egbert were charged with hate crimes and civil rights violations stemming from the beating of two men. During a four-day trial, which culminated Friday afternoon, federal prosecutors claimed the trio beat the men as part of an overall campaign to start a "race war," intimidate "non-whites" in the Salt Lake City area, and use the news of the violence to recruit others who shared their views.

Patrons and employees of the O'Shucks bar took the stand to recall a racist confrontation with members of the National Alliance group on New Year's Eve, 2002. The testimony recounted how white supremacists handed out stickers calling for a stop to all immigration by "non-whites," saying they "are turning America into a third world slum ... they come for welfare or to take our jobs."

They also referred to "non-whites" as "messy," "disruptive," "noisy" and said they "multiply rapidly."

The prosecution's key witness, Keith Cotter, was a former National Alliance member who testified that he took part in both assaults along with the other three defendants.