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White supremacist convicted of triple homicide in Washington state

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A jury has convicted a 37-year-old man of three counts of aggravated murder in the 2016 shooting deaths of three people in a home in Washington state.

The Columbian reports a jury on Friday also convicted Brent Luyster of one count of attempted murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.

Luyster, a known white supremacist, shot and killed Joseph Mark LaMar, Zachary Thompson and Janell Renee Knight on July 15, 2016, in the small town of Woodland. A fourth person was shot and survived.

"We can finally breathe after a year and a half," LaMar's sister, Abia Nunn, told reporters outside the courthouse, according to the Columbian.

She added, "Walking in was extremely stressful, because you don't know what they are going to say. Hearing those words just felt like, just like someone took a tremendous weight off of our shoulders."

Officials say Thompson was Luyster's best friend and LaMar a friend. Knight was LaMar's partner.

Prosecutors say Luyster killed the three because he was upset about felony charges in a different case that might land him back in jail. Luyster's defense team argued that was speculation and said there was little physical evidence against Luyster.

Hate Rising: White Supremacy in America 08:08
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