EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - A judge in Washington state has sentenced a man to 40 years in prison after a jury convicted him of fatally shooting a teenager during an alleged drug deal in February 2019.
A Snohomish County judge sentenced David Randall Wright, 33, on Wednesday after he was convicted of first-degree murder in September in the death of Raul Cuadros, 19, The Daily Herald reported.
At the start of the trial, Wright was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty.
Authorities said both men showed up with at least one other person to an alleged drug deal at a Jack in the Box around 3:40 a.m. and were expecting to rob each other when an altercation occurred and Cuadros was shot in the chest.
“Had any one of the several actors involved made slightly different decisions, it would not have resulted in the death of a human being,” Deputy Prosecutor Michael Boska said. “Now the families affected are left with an enormous impact.”
Court documents said security footage captured much of what happened, but skipped forward three seconds at the critical moment. The footage showed the shooter was wearing the same Adidas shoes that Wright was wearing when officers from the Everett Police Department arrested him. Others involved were also arrested and convicted.
Wright’s attorney Walter Peale asked prosecutors for 15 years, below sentencing guidelines of up to 50 years. He argued no one showed up with a plan to commit murder. Prosecutors had asked for 44 years.
“Regardless of the circumstances leading up to or during all of this, nobody wants to lose a family member. I’m sorry for you guys’ loss,” Wright said during the sentencing hearing.
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