GUILTY WA - Ben Eastman, 16, raped and murdered, Lewis County, 23 Jun 2018

[Seattle1]

Recently Released Video Depicts Randle Homicide Suspect’s Interview with Detective

A video interview between Jonathon Adamson and Lewis County Detective Sgt. Kevin Engelbertson recently made available for public disclosure requests depicts Adamson providing a play-by-play account of the night he and his brother, Benito Marquez, have admitted to killing Randle teen Benjamin Eastman III.
[.....]
The video shows the two standing on a forest road, surrounded by thick brush and trees, with Adamson pointing out the specific location of the assault and where the body was hidden.

It is inferred during the interview that Adamson and Marquez planned their attack on Eastman based on the belief that the teen had wronged a female subject known to them.
[.....]
More than a year after the interview was recorded, both would plead guilty to the death and two more individuals would be arrested — Michael Salazar, 17, and his mother Amanda Hagerty, 42. Salazar was accused of knowing that the two had planned to attack Eastman, and prevented another teen from reporting their plan to a third party. Hagerty, Salazar’s mother, was accused of helping them come up with a false story to tell detectives and tipping them off that the body had been found, prompting their attempted escape from the area.

Adamson’s plea agreement includes an agreed-upon sentence of 510 months, or 42 and a half years to life in prison.
[.....]
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Adamson and Marquez will likely not be sentenced until the other cases were resolved.

The cold, heartless, and callousness is unbelievable.

These boys are exactly where they belong. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

Michael D. Salazar

A judge ordered the mother and son accused of helping Jonathon Adamson and Benito Marquez cover up the death of Randle teen Benjamin Eastman III last year be held in the Lewis County Jail on $250,000 bail pending future court hearings..

Among the most serious accusations leveled against Michael D. Salazar, 17, and Amanda L. Hagerty, 42, is that Salazar, after learning that the killing was planned to take place, physically restrained a person planning to report the plan to a third party.

[...]

Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead argued for $250,000 bail for each, pointing out that these were amounts set over the weekend following their arrests.

Judge James Lawler imposed the amount, and set Salazar’s arraignment hearing for Aug. 1 and Hagerty’s for Thursday.

According to court documents, Salazar knew Marquez and Adamson had plans to kill Eastman after they spoke of their intentions during a camping trip on June 24, 2018. When another individual later tried to tell an adult about the plan, Salazar allegedly held her down and prevented her from doing so.

Deputies interviewed the person Salazar allegedly restrained, according to court documents which indicate she said: “I tell Michael I’m like are they gonna kill him and everything like that and then he tells me no and then I try and get up and go and he just sits on me so I can’t, like I couldn’t get up and he was just like you need to calm down, you need to go to sleep, it’s fine.”

Documents go on to say Salazar later allegedly helped Adamson and Marquez start a fire used to burn evidence of the killing and assisted them in cleaning themselves of any evidence.

In an interview with Lewis County deputies, Salazar said he heard the pair talking about luring Eastman from his house, and was under the impression that they would, at least, assault him.

Detectives interviewed Adamson after he pleaded guilty to murder and other crimes, and he indicated that he likely would not have followed through on a plan to kill Eastman had another adult confronted him about the plan.

Bail Set At $250K for Mother, Son Accused of Helping Cover Up Randle Homicide

 

[Seattle1]

Hi @Niner - I'm assuming the mother did not make bail either? Surprised both bail bonds set at $250k.

Thanks...

Doesn't look like it from the court site. I would say $25K is a LOT to put up....

Looks like somebody came up with collateral for Mom Hagerty:

• 07/29/2019 Bail Bond
  
  Comment
  Lacey O'Malley Bail Bonds
  
  
• 07/30/2019 Order Establishing Conditions of Release
  
  Judicial Officer
  Lawler, James W
  

 

[Seattle1]

Third Murder Charge Filed in Eastman Slaying

Two Kennewick residents were arrested and charged with rending criminal assistance to Jonathon Adamson and Benito Marquez — the two suspects charged, and who have since pleaded guilty to, the beating death of Randle teen Benjamin Eastman III last summer.

Among the accusations leveled against Michael D. Salazar, 17, and Amanda L. Hagerty, 42, are that Salazar, after learning of Adamson and Marquez’s plan to kill Eastman, physically restrained a person who attempted to report the plan to a third party.

Salazar was charged with first-degree murder or in the alternative second-degree murder, first-degree rendering criminal assistance and tampering with physical evidence. Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said the murder charge comes with the alleged level of complicity Salazar had in the slaying.


“Our position is he facilitated the crime by preventing someone from reporting it — actively. It’s one thing if he talked them out of it, but if you hold someone down and prevent them from telling, that’s something else,” said Meyer.

According to a probable cause affidavit, on June 24, 2018, Salazar, Adamson, Marquez and some others were camping when Adamson and Marquez devised a plan to lure Eastman out of his house under the guise of a camping trip and then kill him.

Salazar and others allegedly caught wind of the plan, and when a girl said she was going to tell an adult about what the two were setting off to do, Salazar held her down and prevented her from telling anyone.

Shortly after Eastman’s death, Salazar allegedly helped them start a fire that was used to burn physical evidence by retrieving gasoline from a garage. He then helped them clean themselves off after they had allegedly beat Eastman to death over the span of somewhere between 20 and 45 minutes.

Law enforcement had been attempting to contact Salazar again for a recorded interview, but only telephone communication occurred. A warrant was issued for his arrest and incarceration on $250,000 bail.

 

[Seattle1]

Salazar, 17 is being tried as an adult but I didn't expect to find him in the Lewis County Jail. He's still there and probably not getting out with Sept trial date. Also, he was arrested on a warrant so they probably want to keep tabs on him as he resides in different county in eastern, WA.
****************************************************

SALAZAR, MICHAEL D 346911 Jul 19 5:50 PM Register

Arrest Date Arresting Agency Court Billing Agency Bond Type Bond Amount Warrant/Citation# Description

Jul 19 5:50 PM LCSO SUP LCSC Included $0 1910055921 RENDR ASSIST 1ST DEG

Jul 19 5:50 PM LCSO SUP LCSC Included $0 1910055921 TAMPERING W EVIDENCE

Jul 19 5:50 PM LCSO SUP LCSC Cash or Bond $250,000 1910055921 MURDER 1S

 

[Kavya01]

That MOTHER needs to BURN. OMG. I am sorry but how do kids stand a chance if that's a parent's moral compass?

 

[Niner]

Thursday, August 15th:
*Omnibus Hearing for both (@ 11:15am PT) – WA – Benjamin Eastman III (16) (June 23, 2018, Randle; found June 28, 2018) – *Michael D. Salazar (17) arrested (7/19/19),charged (7/22/19) & arraigned (8/1/19) with 1st degree murder, tampering with evidence & 1st degree rendering criminal assistance. $250K Bond. Trial set to begin 9/16/19 for both.
Court documents allege that he knew about the plan to assault Eastman before it happened, but did nothing to warn anyone and furthermore physically prevented his ex-girlfriend from alerting anyone.
7/22/19 Preliminary hearing on 7/22. Bond set at $250K. Appointed attorney. Next Arraignment & trial setting hearing on 8/1.
8/1/19 Update: Next Omnibus hearing on 8/15, trial confirmation hearing on 9/12 & trial starts 9/16.
*Amanda Lyn Hagerty (42) (Salazar’s mom) arrested (7/19/19), charged (7/22/19) & arraigned (7/25/19) with 2 counts of 1st degree rendering criminal assistance & misleading LE. $250K bond. Bonded out (7/29/19).
7/22/19 Preliminary hearing on 7/22. Bond set at $250K. Appointed attorney. Arraignment & Trial setting hearing on 7/25.
7/25/19 Update: Next Omnibus hearing on 8/15, trial confirmation hearing on 9/12 & trial starts 9/16.
*Jonathon Robert Adamson – plead guilty. Set sentencing hearing on 8/29. Probably will happened after trial above.
*Benito “Benny” S. Marquez – Plead guilty & agreed to a sentence of 413 months (just over 34 years) in prison. Review hearing on 6/6 was continued with no date. Will be after trial above.
*Kindra Rose Adamson - Plead guilty. Faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Review hearing stricken on 5/2/19.
*Emma L. Brown – Plead guilty. Recommended sentence from DA will be credit for time served. Review hearing stipulated on 5/2/19. 6/17/19: Officially plead guilty.

 

[Niner]

Geez - another one charged!!

Brother of Confessed Randle Murderers Charged with Witness Tampering


The older brother of Jonathon Adamson and Benito Marquez — the pair who pleaded guilty to murder in the death last year of Randle teen Benjamin Eastman III — was charged late last month with witness tampering for allegedly relaying information between the two brothers while they were incarcerated in the Lewis County Jail.

Gerald Thompson, 24, of Mabton was charged with a single count of tampering with a witness. He was placed on unsecured bail, meaning he will remain out of custody throughout the case as long as he abides by certain conditions of release.
[.....]
Thompson appeared out of custody to a hearing in Lewis County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon, where Judge Andrew Toynbee imposed $10,000 unsecured bail, in tune with a request from Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, who commented that Thompson was being cooperative.



Guess I have to add this guy to the list....

 

[Seattle1]

Gerald Thompson, 24, of Mabton was charged with a single count of tampering with a witness. He was placed on unsecured bail, meaning he will remain out of custody throughout the case as long as he abides by certain conditions of release.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Adamson contacted Thompson multiple times on Feb. 20, 2019, with hopes of telling his older brother to tell Marquez not to plead guilty to the charges against him nor testify against him.


Thompson allegedly talked with Marquez the next day, telling him not to take a plea deal.

“(Thompson) then reported back to his brother (Jonathon) and informed him of the conversation and that Marquez was not going to plead guilty,” read court documents.

Marquez pleaded guilty the next day, with one of the conditions of his plea deal being he would serve as a state witness against any other defendant charged in connection to Eastman’s death — including Adamson.

Adamson was expected to plead guilty that same day, but instructed his attorney, Don Blair, the morning of the hearing and told him he wouldn’t be following through with the plea deal.

Brother of Confessed Randle Murderers Charged with Witness Tampering

A real family affair: Mom & 3 sons all charged in the brutal attack of Ben.

 

[claudianunes]

Oh my. So many adults knew. Disgusting. The only person who cared and tried to prevent this crime was a teen girl, amazing.

 

[Niner]

Salazar:

08/15/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 01:00 PM
Result: Held

08/15/2019 Motion Hearing
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W

08/15/2019 Notice of Hearing

09/12/2019 Trial Confirmation
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 01:00 PM
Cancel Reason: Stricken

09/12/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 01:00 PM
Comment: set trial/dates

09/16/2019 Jury Trial
Hearing Time: 9:30 AM
Cancel Reason: Stricken


link: Odyssey Portal - Washington Courts Online Case Search


Hagerty:

08/15/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Toynbee, J. Andrew
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM
Result: Held

08/15/2019 Motion Hearing
Judicial Officer: Toynbee, J. Andrew

08/15/2019 Notice of Trial Date

09/12/2019 Trial Confirmation
Judicial Officer: Toynbee, J. Andrew
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM
Cancel Reason: Stricken

09/16/2019 Jury Trial
Hearing Time: 9:30 AM
Cancel Reason: Stricken

10/31/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM

12/05/2019 Trial Confirmation
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM

12/09/2019 Jury Trial
Hearing Time: 9:30 AM

link: Odyssey Portal - Washington Courts Online Case Search

 

[Seattle1]

Salazar:

08/15/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 01:00 PM
Result: Held

08/15/2019 Motion Hearing
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W

08/15/2019 Notice of Hearing

09/12/2019 Trial Confirmation
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 01:00 PM
Cancel Reason: Stricken

09/12/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 01:00 PM
Comment: set trial/dates

09/16/2019 Jury Trial
Hearing Time: 9:30 AM
Cancel Reason: Stricken


link: Odyssey Portal - Washington Courts Online Case Search


Hagerty:

08/15/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Toynbee, J. Andrew
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM
Result: Held

08/15/2019 Motion Hearing
Judicial Officer: Toynbee, J. Andrew

08/15/2019 Notice of Trial Date

09/12/2019 Trial Confirmation
Judicial Officer: Toynbee, J. Andrew
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM
Cancel Reason: Stricken

09/16/2019 Jury Trial
Hearing Time: 9:30 AM
Cancel Reason: Stricken

10/31/2019 Omnibus
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM

12/05/2019 Trial Confirmation
Judicial Officer: Lawler, James W
Hearing Time: 11:15 AM

12/09/2019 Jury Trial
Hearing Time: 9:30 AM

link: Odyssey Portal - Washington Courts Online Case Search

Hmmmm -- no new date for Salazar but momma Hagerty on the calendar?

 

[Niner]

That's correct Seattle1.

And I haven't been able to Thompson in the court system as of today....

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

The cold, heartless, and callousness is unbelievable.

These boys are exactly where they belong. MOO

So what was the supposed wrong against a girl? Age of said girl? I keep seeing little hints about it,but no explanation. If that was the motive behind this brutality,and 'lesson'? In murder cases there is usually talk of the motive, This is the first time I've seen it come from the horses mouth, in this case. yet it's not fully explained.

 

[Seattle1]

So what was the supposed wrong against a girl? Age of said girl? I keep seeing little hints about it,but no explanation. If that was the motive behind this brutality,and 'lesson'? In murder cases there is usually talk of the motive, This is the first time I've seen it come from the horses mouth, in this case. yet it's not fully explained.

As Ben was a minor, I'm assuming any allegations of wrong against a girl might also be a minor girl. Nothing confirmed that I'm aware of, and like Ben Eastman Sr., I'm not going to perpetuate rumors. MOO

 

[Seattle1]

That's correct Seattle1.

And I haven't been able to Thompson in the court system as of today....

Thanks @Niner

I know that Gerald Thompson is not in custody (unsecured bail), but I also do not see Thompson and tampering with witness in the court system.

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

As Ben was a minor, I'm assuming any allegations of wrong against a girl might also be a minor girl. Nothing confirmed that I'm aware of, and like Ben Eastman Sr., I'm not going to perpetuate rumors. MOO

I understand that. If that's the 'excuse' the murders,and conspirators are giving it needs to be addressed. Looks like that's what the defence Will go with. Blame the victim.
MOO

 

[Seattle1]

I understand that. If that's the 'excuse' the murders,and conspirators are giving it needs to be addressed. Looks like that's what the defence Will go with. Blame the victim.
MOO

There is no trial pending.

The main defendants (Benito, Jonathan, Kendra,and Emma) have all entered plea agreements so I don't believe we will ever know the truth. MOO

 

[mpnola]

If there is one tiny sliver of light in this horribly dark situation it is that this police department is NOT playing around! They are legitimately holding everyone accountable that was involved. I hope, if nothing else, it will make other people think twice about being involved in a crime and not reporting! The person who commits the murder is not the only one going down!

Ben, we arent the only ones standing with you! There are some boys in blue who are also making sure that everyone involved is held accountable. Thankfully. Such a pointless act of violence.

 

[Seattle1]

If there is one tiny sliver of light in this horribly dark situation it is that this police department is NOT playing around! They are legitimately holding everyone accountable that was involved. I hope, if nothing else, it will make other people think twice about being involved in a crime and not reporting! The person who commits the murder is not the only one going down!

Ben, we arent the only ones standing with you! There are some boys in blue who are also making sure that everyone involved is held accountable. Thankfully. Such a pointless act of violence.

I agree. This was a senseless, cruel, and just plain evil murder of 16-year-old Benjamin Eastman from a small village of less than 1800 residents. Ben was only 16 and murdered by one of his best friends since age 5. Not only did Benito lure Ben to his demise, he rallied up two of his brothers and even his mother.

From what I understand, Benito and his mother were to cooperate with the prosecutor and testify against Jonathan as part of their plea deals but I don't think they trusted these defendants that they wouldn't try something something with hope to get a mistrial for brother Jonathan.

Prosecutor made polygraph exams part of their pleas agreements! I do believe these exams resulted in charges against another 17 year old and his mother from another county. It's frightening to know so many families were willing to engage with no regard for the life of a very loved member of their community. MOO

Justice for Ben.