Three men convicted of murdering a family in Washington state in 2017 over drug and money charges have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
After the victims’ families spoke in court, Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull said Tuesday that Daniel Kelley Jr., 45, Robert Watson III, 52, Watson’s brother Johnny Watson, 50, was sentenced.
Each man was sentenced to four life sentences, one for each first-degree murder charge. They each received additional prison terms for attempted murder and firearm enhancement charges. A jury in April convicted them.
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On January 27, 2017, Christale Carrega, 37, Hunter Sharp, and Jonathan Higgins, both 16, were found dead in their burnt-out home on the Kitsap Peninsula west of Seattle. Ta. The body of John Karega, 43, was found inside a burnt out truck. Tree farm.
The Caregas family owned a successful Mexican restaurant in Bremerton. Detectives said in court documents that John Keaga also brought in cocaine from California every few months to sell locally.
Three Washington men have been found guilty in connection with the 2017 murder of a family.
According to authorities, a close friend of his began selling cocaine to Robert Watson, who detectives identified as the leader of the local chapter of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. Investigators said the killing was unrelated to the club.
Investigators said Carrega’s friend eventually stopped selling, and the next time Carrega went to California to obtain drugs, Robert Watson went there “following John.” According to investigators, the conversation between the two became heated until the day of the murder.
John Carrega’s attorney told authorities that Carrega had hundreds of thousands of dollars hidden under his home, but the money was never found.
Detectives said more than $300,000 was deposited into Robert Watson’s account in 2017, and there was “a large amount of cash with no identifiable source,” according to court records.
Detectives said Kelly had a “hangout” relationship with the Bandido family and was a good friend of Carrega’s before they fell out.
Neighbors of the Carrega family reported hearing gunshots at the house on the day of the murder and seeing John Carrega’s truck speed away with Kelly inside, followed closely by another car. .
During the trial, defense attorneys questioned the timeline and cell phone towers used to track the trio’s movements and argued there was no evidence that anything was taken from Carrega’s home. .
Relatives of the victims told the court of the pain the blended family has endured since their deaths.
John Karega is described as a loving father and uncle who entertains his nine children who depend on him. Crystal Karega was described as a “bright light” with a good personality and an infectious energy. Jonathan Higgins was a “big teddy bear”. And Hunter Sharp became famous for his bravery, especially for calling 911 on the night of the murder to report an intruder in his home.
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Kelly and the Watson brothers declined the opportunity to speak in court.
