Harkey found guilty on one assault charge, jury unable to reach decision on second

A Cape Girardeau man has been found guilty of one count of first-degree assault for a 2016 incident in which two men were assaulted in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Ryan P. Harkey, 28, testified during the two-day trial, denying involvement in the attack that left the victims with “serious physical injuries,” including broken facial bones, a skull fracture and loss of consciousness, according to a news release from Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Limbaugh.

Surveillance video placed Harkey near both victims before the assaults, and showed him running away afterward but did not capture the assaults, according to the release.

Harkey claimed a “friend committed both unprovoked attacks approximately fifteen minutes apart,” according to the release.

While the jury returned a guilty verdict in one count, it was unable to reach a unanimous decision regarding the second assault charge. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office may retry Harkey on that count, according to the release.

Harkey faces 10 to 30 years or life in prison, according to the release.

He is set to be sentenced Nov. 17.

Harkey in 2012 pleaded guilty to second-degree involuntary manslaughter for his role in the stabbing death of Jerry “Buddy” Conrad. Harkey stabbed Conrad to death on the Common Pleas Courthouse lawn in downtown Cape Girardeau after a barroom dispute.

The jury was made aware of Harkey’s prior conviction, but the details surrounding that incident were inadmissable.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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