An eight-woman, four-man jury Thursday afternoon convicted 34-year-old Christopher V. Cowan on all counts in connection with the Jan. 17 near-fatal stabbing of a 40-year-old Edmonds Domino’s Pizza delivery driver. The jury found Cowan guilty of one count of attempted second-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of first-degree robbery in the bloody assault on Domino’s employee Mike Brenick. Prosecutor Craig Matheson had originally asked for first degree attempted murder, but gave the jury the option to convict on the lesser charge if they deemed it more appropriate.

According to information presented in court, on the night of Jan. 17 at approximately 11:40 p.m., Brenick was preparing to go out on a delivery. As he approached his car carrying the food order, he noticed someone in the driver’s seat appearing to be stealing property. He opened the car door to challenge the suspect, and in the ensuing scuffle was stabbed three times, with one wound causing his intestines to spill out.

Holding his abdomen, he limped back to the store, where other employees called 911. First responders stabilized Brenick at the scene, and he was rushed to Harborview Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He has since recovered and is doing well. The assailant escaped on foot and was unsuccessfully pursued by an Edmonds Police K-9 team. Subsequent investigation identified the suspect as Cowan, and he was picked up Jan. 21 while walking on Highway 99 in Shoreline. Read more details in My Edmonds News coverage of the first day of the trial.

The trial began on Oct. 19 and unfolded over eight days before Judge Richard Okrent in Snohomish County Superior Court. Key to the prosecution’s case was a fingerprint found on an item taken from the victim’s car that matched Cowan’s left thumb. The item, a manila envelope containing Brenick’s auto insurance documents, was discarded by the assailant and recovered by police during the K-9 track. Cowan’s defense team steadfastly maintained his innocence, calling the fingerprint evidence flawed. But in the end the jury disagreed.

Cowan remains in custody. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20.

— By Larry Vogel