Gang member guilty in fatal 2005 shooting

Tony Milam said justice was done Thursday in the gang-steeped murder trial of his son's killer.

But he added a warning after a King County jury found Omar Ali Norman guilty of first-degree murder in the October 2005 slaying of Terrell Milam, 31.

"Everybody loses because this is ongoing," he said of Seattle's gang violence. "There's another Terrell, another Omar out there. The city of Seattle has to do something to turn it around."

The jury also found Norman, 24, guilty of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm. Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Castleton said Norman will face up to 52 years in prison when he is sentenced.

After the verdict was read, the victim's widow, Olamae Milam said, "I have been waiting for four years."

Terrell Milam, a gang member, had gone for a predawn ride Oct. 17, 2005, with Norman and Charles Justice, both alleged gang members, just hours after Milam had brawled with then-Seahawks player Ken Hamlin outside a Pioneer Square nightclub.

Castleton claimed Milam was shot because he said the wrong thing. Milam told Norman and Justice he had been involved in the nonfatal shooting of a man named "Rollo." Milam didn't realize Raphael "Rollo" Justice was Charles Justice's older brother.

Justice allegedly shot Milam in the chest and arms before Norman fired the fatal bullet.

Justice has not been charged. Castleton said Justice would be prosecuted "if we can get enough evidence."

Gang member Mark Anderson testified during the trial that Norman told him he had "topped off" Milam by putting him in a headlock then firing a single round into his head.

In a colorful, at times theatrical four-week trial featuring a slew of street gangsters, Castleton said Norman and Justice dumped Milam's body on a sidewalk near Seward Park. DNA matching Norman's was found on a cigarette butt and a 9 mm shell casing near Milam's body. Remnants of a 9 mm bullet were found in Milam's head.

Norman's lawyer, Don Minor, argued the DNA evidence was flawed and Anderson's testimony was inconsistent. He said neither conclusively proved that Norman was Milam's killer. Minor declined to comment after the verdict.

Milam's killing had nothing to do with the fight with Hamlin, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys.

Police say Milam's murder touched off a violent feud between two Central District gangs, the Low Profiles (LPs) and the Deuce Eights. Milam was prominent in the Deuce Eights. Norman was a founder of the LPs, which were a spinoff from Milam's group.

The feud spilled into the courthouse during pretrial motions when a fight broke out between rival gang members. Heavy security, including Seattle gang-unit officers, was present throughout the trial.

At the end of closing arguments Tuesday, Norman flashed his legal notepad to friends in the courtroom audience. In black 6-inch letters he had sketched "LP."

Castleton said he was skeptical that Norman's conviction would deter young gang members from violence. "I don't know if this will overcome their impulsiveness."

But at least, he said, it would put one dangerous player on the sidelines.

"This verdict has removed someone we believe to be very violent from the streets for a long time."

Information from Seattle Times staff reporter Jennifer Sullivan and Times archives is included in this report.

Bob Young: 206-464-2174 or byoung@seattletimes.com