Jury deliberations begin in the fourth trial of former Everett bar owner

EVERETT — A 12-person jury began deliberating Thursday in the fourth trial of Christian Sayre, a former Everett bar owner accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women over nearly a decade.

Around 2:30 p.m., Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Millie Judge gave the jury its instructions on how to reach a verdict. Jurors were instructed to evaluate each charge independently and not let their verdict on one count influence another.

Around 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Judge sent jurors home for the night. Deliberations will resume at 9 a.m. Monday.

Deputy prosecutors Kara Van Slyck and Martha Saracino presented the case on behalf of the state. Defense attorneys Piper Salvator and David Roberson represented Sayre.

The charges against Sayre stem from allegations by four women, two of whom said they met him at the Anchor Pub, once owned by Sayre.

The jury received the case after closing statements from both sides ended Thursday afternoon.

During her closing arguments, Van Slyck reminded jurors of what defines consensual contact.

While speaking to the jury, Van Slyck quoted previous testimony from a woman.

“The more I protested, the worse it got. The more I tried to get away the tighter his grip,” Van Slyck said.

In one case, a woman said the night started as consensual sexual contact, but gradually became more aggressive. She recalled saying “too much” multiple times under questioning from Saracino and testified she felt pain, attempted to break free, and later woke up to Sayre sexually assaulting her.

Just because the woman didn’t say “no” or “stop” doesn’t mean she consented, Van Slyck said to jury members.

Earlier Thursday, Judge dismissed one of the four original charges in this trial — an indecent liberties charge — after defense attorneys argued the state failed to prove the encounter involved “forcible compulsion, ” because the woman was able to get away quickly.

The judge found the reported conduct did not meet the legal threshold for indecent liberties and dismissed the charge.

Sayre now faces three charges: two counts of indecent liberties and one count of second-degree rape. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

For another count of indecent liberties, the jury was instructed to consider a lesser offense — fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation, a gross misdemeanor.

In the charge where the jury was instructed to consider a lesser offense, state prosecutors still contend Sayre is guilty of indecent liberties.

During his closing statement, Roberson urged jurors to critically assess the credibility of each witness.

“Your job as jurors is you try to assess the credibility of people that sat in this chair … if you do that job with a critical thinking mind, you’ll realize witnesses have agendas,” he said.

In one count, Roberson claimed the accuser had a hidden agenda, arguing she was upset over being “fired” from the Anchor Pub, though she claimed she resigned. He also questioned why she would continue going to the bar.

He also questioned why, after the alleged assault, the woman chose to stay and shower in Sayre’s home.

Saracino spoke last to the jury before the state rested its case.

“They want you to believe that these women told their friends and their family about one of the scariest things that happened to them, done by a person they were comfortable with or trusted … and they did it to do what? Plan that, years later, they will end up here?” Saracino said. “… He is guilty as charged, beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Sayre once faced more than 20 sex-related charges. On Aug. 26, 2024, Judge agreed to split the case into four separate trials. The previous three juries found Sayre guilty on every count.

Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.