Jury acquits man of murder in drug-related killing

SALT LAKE CITY — A man who claimed he shot and killed another man in self-defense during a drug-deal gone bad nearly two years ago was found not guilty by a jury Friday.

Kenneth Lewellyn Flowers, 35, was acquitted by an eight member jury in 3rd District Court of murder, a first-degree felony. An additional charge of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third-degree felony, was dismissed.

The not guilty verdict came on the fourth day of a trial in which the defense's witness never showed up to testify, according to court records.

In December of 2010, police found Flowers outside an apartment at 1810 S. Main, as well as the body of Cisco Montanez Cross, 45, of Herriman, who had been shot in the chest.

Police said the confrontation was initially a drug deal. Flowers told investigators he had been in his apartment smoking crack for 24 hours. He claimed he fired in self-defense because Cross had set him up and was about to attack him with others.

Prior to the shooting, Flowers had been deported twice to Belize, according to court records.

— Pat Reavy

Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam