Sam Lincoln

Sam Lincoln guilty on all charges stemming from a shootout with police.
Two bullets from a gun Lincoln was firing ricocheted off the windshield of a patrol car that Byrne’s wife, Mesa County Sheriff’s Department deputy Tanya Brechlin, and deputy Mike Miller were riding in on the night of Dec. 1, 2005. Police said they found 23 bullet casings in the vehicle that Lincoln and his driver abandoned after a high-speed chase around Grand Junction.
A jury Thursday found Lincoln guilty on all charges after deliberating for a half-day in the eight-day trial. Lincoln, 26, was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault on a peace officer, vehicular eluding, two counts of menacing with a deadly weapon, two counts of reckless endangerment, obstruction of a peace officer and prohibited use of a weapon.
Prosecutors, law enforcement and members of Lincoln’s family crammed into the courtroom to listen to Mesa County Judge Thomas Deister read the verdict.
“Yes!” whispered someone in the audience after Deister read the first guilty verdict, for attempted murder.
Lincoln kept his head lowered as the verdict was read and exchanged waves with family members before he was led out of the courtroom.
Lincoln will be sentenced Jan. 25. In December, he was found guilty by a jury of attempting to kill a man in the desert north of Grand Junction. He will also be sentenced in that case during the late January hearing.
Police were seeking Lincoln in connection to the desert shooting when Lincoln, high on methamphetamine, armed himself, donned a disguise and shot at police in the vehicle chase before fleeing. Lincoln was captured by authorities 10 days later in Glenwood Springs.