Alexander Kozak guilty of first-degree murder in mall shooting

NEVADA, Ia. — Andrea Farrington's relatives brought white T-shirts with "Andrea: Justice Has Been Served" printed over the heart to the Story County Justice Center on Monday.

"Nothing will bring Andrea back, but knowing that the man who took her life will be spending the rest of his life behind bars brings some comfort," said Cheryl Farrington, who spent the past two weeks watching witnesses describe the violent end of her 20-year-old daughter's life at a crowded shopping mall.

The Farrington family then waited about 90 minutes longer Monday for a jury to decide Andrea's killer was guilty of first-degree murder.

Alexander Kozak, 23, sat emotionless as the verdict was read. Jurors decided that he acted willfully, deliberately and with specific intent when he shot Farrington three times in the back at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville on June 12.

Friends and prosecutors joined relatives to speak to reporters before leaving the courthouse Monday afternoon. Cheryl Farrington said they will all "continue to keep smiling just the way Andrea did."

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, who led the prosecution, thanked Farrington's family and friends, law enforcement and the witnesses who came forward with their stories after such a traumatic event.

"The people who were at the mall that night who really came forward, I really just want to say a huge thank you to them," Lyness said.

The Farrington family also thanked Lyness and Assistant Johnson County Attorney Naeda Elliott, as well as the residents of Story County and members of the Horizons victims support group. She also wanted to acknowledge everyone affected by the shooting.

"They're family. We're all one great big family, and there's no words to express the gratitude that we've had," Farrington said.

FULL TRIAL COVERAGE:

• Lawyers make closing arguments in Kozak trial
• Psychiatrist: Kozak may have multiple mental disorders
• Timeline: Coral Ridge Mall shooting case
• Who's who in the Alexander Kozak trial
• 'I shot somebody at the mall,' Kozak says on video
• Despite complaints, Kozak's behavior didn't raise safety concerns
• Witnesses describe horror in mall shooting

Kozak pleaded not guilty and entered a diminished-responsibility defense, in which his lawyers tried to show that he was incapable of premeditating the shooting because of a mental disorder. The defense did not dispute that Kozak killed Farrington. The trial, held in Story County, was moved out of Johnson County because of concerns about finding an impartial jury.

Kozak worked as a security guard in the mall, where Farrington worked for the Iowa Children's Museum. The two knew each other and had an extensive texting relationship.

Defense attorney Alfredo Parrish said the case touched on issues of electronic communication that are becoming more relevant, especially among young people. He wouldn't say if he planned to appeal the conviction but said he had spoken with Kozak about what he called "a couple issues" with the trial and that he'd probably take a look at those.

"His family is devastated, just like both these families are," Parrish said. "There are two young people who obviously had a very close relationship ... and unfortunately (it) came to a very horrific end."

During closing arguments earlier Monday,  Parrish called the shooting a crime of passion and asked the jury for a verdict of voluntary manslaughter, which would carry a 10-year prison sentence.

Parrish said Kozak had been pushed to a breaking point by the "hot and cold" relationship with Farrington, and that a lack of sleep and a migraine on the day of the shooting had contributed to his mental disorders.

Even if Kozak did have a mental disorder, Lyness said, the doctors called by the state and the defense testified that it wouldn't have prevented Kozak from planning his actions.

"This wasn't a mistake. This wasn't because of some mental defect or mental illness. He did it because he wanted to. He did it because he was jealous and he was mad. He wanted Andrea to pay the price for bruising his pride," she said.

Kozak's trial lasted two weeks and included testimony from many who witnessed the shooting in the crowded mall, video evidence of Kozak admitting to law enforcement that he shot Farrington and that it was premeditated, and multiple psychiatrists and psychologists who spoke about Kozak's mental health.

A first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. Kozak's sentencing will be June 6 in Iowa City.

Reach Stephen Gruber-Miller at 319-887-5407 or sgrubermil@press-citizen.com. Follow him at @sgrubermiller.