Jury Acquits Reseda Man of Murder
A Superior Court jury on Friday acquitted a Reseda man who authorities said bragged to friends about fatally shooting and robbing a man in a Canoga Park alley in 1994.
Jason Matthew Gustanski was found not guilty of murder in the death of Edward Michael Garner, 21, of Winnetka, on Sept. 19, 1994.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Laura Baird said witnesses who initially said Gustanski bragged to them of the killing recanted their stories on the stand. His attorney said Gustanski was at a party when the killing occurred.
Authorities said Gustanski, then 18, met Garner at a 7-Eleven store and led Garner into an alley off Mason Avenue with a promise to sell him drugs. Gustanski then shot Garner in the back of his head and took his wallet, pager and cellular telephone, authorities said.
Garner’s body was found in the alley, which was the target of police narcotics investigations, by a local resident going to work several hours after the early morning shooting, authorities said.
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