成人X站

When Roy Wayne Russell Jr. was convicted for the 2005 suffocation murder of a 14-year-old girl in Vancouver, Wash., the judge there called him 鈥渢he poster boy for the Three-Strike Act.鈥�

Listen Thursday for Dori鈥檚 interview with the attorney who successfully argued in favor of killer鈥檚 Three Strikes conviction 鈥� and his reaction to lawmakers鈥� soft-on-crime actions

But now, Russell, 60, appears to have beaten his sentence for life in prison without the possibility of release 鈥� for a second time. The result? He could be freed in less than four years.

This outcome 鈥渋s unimaginable,鈥� murder victim Chelsea Harrison鈥檚 grandmother, Sophie Johnson, told The Dori Monson Show Wednesday.

鈥淚 really found it hard to even believe the very idea of releasing someone who has had three strikes several times 鈥� and has been smart enough to find a little loophole that he could get out,鈥� Johnson told Dori鈥檚 listeners.

鈥淎nyone who can murder another person deserves to be punished more than you can believe,鈥� Johnson said.

Even before killing Johnson鈥檚 granddaughter 鈥� a crime Russell now admits to 鈥� the multi-time felon was first sentenced under Washington state鈥檚 鈥淭hree Strikes You鈥檙e Out Act鈥� in 1998, Dori explained. It involved Russell鈥檚 arson conviction for setting his former girlfriend鈥檚 Vancouver apartment on fire. Prosecutors tacked this case on to Russell鈥檚 1979 robbery and 1982 kidnapping convictions in Arizona to put him behind bars here for life.

However, the Washington State Court of Appeals 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. When the appeals court translated the charge, the kidnapping felony didn鈥檛 qualify as a strike offense 鈥� so Russell was released from prison in June 2001.

Four years later, with two of his earlier three felony convictions still eligible for 鈥淭hree Strikes,鈥� Russell hosted a party at his Vancouver home. It was there, court records show, that when other guests left, Russell made sexual advances toward Chelsea. Prosecutors claimed that when the high school freshman resisted, Russell suffocated her.

Jurors agreed. In January 2006, he was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree felony murder, and first-degree manslaughter in the teen鈥檚 death.

Again, Russell was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release under the 鈥淭hree Strikes鈥� act.

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 has avoided 鈥淭hree Strikes鈥� for the second time and is now eligible for release in about four years.

He鈥檚 not alone. According to The (Vancouver) Columbian, lawmakers鈥� decision means there are more than 100 others in state prisons whose 鈥淭hree Strikes鈥� sentences could be off the hook for life in prison because second-degree robbery doesn鈥檛 carry as heavy a conviction.

Meanwhile, Johnson told Dori, Chelsea鈥檚 murder 鈥渞ipped through our family.鈥� Even after 17 years and a move to California, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you can just push aside,鈥� she said.

Her granddaughter 鈥渨as really an old soul. . . who loved horses and wanted to be a trainer someday.鈥�

Chelsea had already earned a variety of blue and red ribbons for horse racing events, Johnson recalled to Dori, adding 鈥淪he鈥檇 be 30 years old, but her dreams were cut out of what she was going to do. She was robbed of that.”

鈥淚t sounds ridiculous, but they just used to take people who did this out and shoot them. I鈥檓 not recommending that by any means. I certainly endorse rehabilitation, but there are people out there among us who cannot be rehabilitated, and Mr. Russell has proved that more than one time to the public.鈥�

And what does Johnson think of local lawmakers who are ready to let Chelsea鈥檚 killer out of prison? Dori asked.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine so-called educated humans letting him on the streets again,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淭he citizens of the state need to really wake up and look at who they鈥檙e voting for. This is an election year and I hope and pray that the citizens of Washington will take the time to consider what they鈥檙e doing when they cast their vote. People who are put into these positions need to do what is right.鈥�

Listen to Dori鈥檚 entire interview with teen murder victim鈥檚 grandmother about new state law that could allow twice-sentenced 鈥淭hree Strikes You鈥檙e Out鈥� killer to go free

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