Suspect convicted of 2nd-degree murder in 2018 shooting of a deputy US marshal in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A man convicted of killing a federal agent in Tucson five years ago could face life in prison when he’s sentenced in January, according to authorities.

A jury on Monday found Ryan Phillip Schlesinger guilty of second-degree murder in the November 2018 death of Deputy U.S. Marshal Chase White.

At the time of the fatal shooting, the 41-year-old White was just four days away from his deployment in the Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel.

Prosecutors said White, a married father of four, was part of a group of Marshals Service personnel who were trying to serve a felony arrest warrant at Schlesinger’s home.

Schlesinger had been stalking a woman who was a Tucson police sergeant, according to a criminal complaint. He was 26 at the time of the shooting.

After a standoff with law enforcement that lasted about an hour, authorities said Schlesinger emerged from his northern Tucson home wearing body armor and was taken into custody.

Schlesinger pleaded not guilty to 13 charges, including murder and assault on a federal officer.

Prosecutors originally sought the death penalty in the case, but withdrew the motion in August 2022.