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A convicted killer and two-time offender in southwest Washington is now eligible to be freed from prison in as few as five years after a Clark County court was forced by the state Legislature to re-sentence him.

Roy Wayne Russell, Jr., 62, has twice beaten a life sentence 鈥� one of them for the 2005 murder of Chelsea Harrison, 14. Russell admits he suffocated Chelsea 鈥� but after legislative Democrats and Gov. Jay Inslee changed the state鈥檚 three-strikes law in 2019, Russell鈥檚 original life sentence was vacated.

Former Clark County prosecutor Jim Senescu, who successfully tried Russell in Chelsea鈥檚 murder, told Friday鈥檚 Dori Monson Show that the lighter sentence is a 鈥渟lap on the wrist鈥� 鈥� while Chelsea鈥檚 grandmother describes their family as 鈥渕ad鈥� and 鈥渨recked.鈥�

Russell鈥檚 criminal history led a 2006 Clark County Superior Court judge to call him 鈥渢he poster boy for the Three-Strike Act.鈥� The former prosecutor told Dori鈥檚 listeners that Russell 鈥渞aped, assaulted and murdered 鈥� strangled 鈥� Chelsea in the basement of his home, dumped her naked, upside-down in the shower, flooded his basement, and fled.鈥�

鈥淭he impact (of Russell鈥檚 new lighter sentencing) is almost worse than when she (Chelsea) was murdered,鈥� Senescu said Friday.

The teen鈥檚 grandmother, Sylvia Johnson, told Dori that learning her granddaughter鈥檚 killer could soon go free is 鈥渢he most horrible thing that anybody can endure.鈥�

Senescu explained that with credit for 17 years he served for that crime 鈥� and with time earned for good prison behavior 鈥� Russell could be released from prison in four to five years, before he turns 70.

Despite letters she has written to lawmakers and appellate court officials, Johnson said, 鈥淚鈥檝e heard nothing from anyone.鈥�

The path to Friday鈥檚 resentencing is a 鈥渓ong and sad and very horrible story,鈥� Senescu told Dori.

More from Dori: Teen killer to be resentenced

Russell was freed from his first 鈥淭hree Strikes鈥� sentence in 2001, even after his 1998 arson conviction for setting his former girlfriend鈥檚 Vancouver apartment on fire. When Clark County prosecutors tacked this case onto Russell鈥檚 1979 robbery and 1982 kidnapping convictions in Arizona, Washington state put him behind bars for life.

The state appeals court, however, vacated Russell鈥檚 first 鈥淭hree Strikes鈥� sentence when the judges decided that his Arizona kidnapping felony conviction didn鈥檛 correspond to the same charge here. That allowed his 2001 release.

The move freed him to return to Vancouver, where he started hosting parties for teens. At one party, after other guests left, Russell 鈥渞aped, assaulted and murdered 鈥� strangled 鈥� Chelsea in the basement of his home, dumped her naked, upside-down in the shower, flooded his basement and fled,鈥� according to court documents.

Again convicted, Russell was sentenced a second time to life in prison without the possibility of release under the 鈥淭hree Strikes Act.鈥�

But in 2019, the Legislature removed second-degree robbery from the state鈥檚 list of most-serious offenses. And in 2021, lawmakers made the change retroactive. The result: Russell avoided a 鈥淭hree Strikes鈥� life sentencing a second time, opening the door to his eventual release.

Friday鈥檚 Clark County Superior Court judge told courtroom attendees that his hands were tied by the new state law, and that he did his most to maximize Russell鈥檚 sentence.

Senescu, meanwhile, blamed a cohort of Democratic state senators for sponsoring Senate Bill 5164 鈥� now a state law that could apply to as many as 100 other offenders statewide.

鈥淲e can thank Washington state Senators (Jeannie) Darneille (Tacoma); (Mona) Das (Kent); (Patty) Kuderer (Bellevue); (Bob) Hasegawa (Seattle); (Marko) Liias (Lynnwood); (Rebecca) Salda帽a (Seattle); (Jesse) Salomon (Shoreline) and (Claire) Wilson (Auburn),鈥� Senescu said.

Johnson also criticized lawmakers for 鈥渃allous鈥� legislation. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 even have the decency to talk to anybody about this. Shame on you.鈥�

Listen to Dori Monson weekday afternoons from noon 鈥� 3 p.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.