Everett man gets 15-year term in slaying
Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, April 5, 2005
A man who admitted shooting a companion to death Nov. 9 was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison Tuesday in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Dustin Arthur Noyes, 30, of Everett, pleaded guilty last month after a friend of his agreed to testify against him.
The friend, Lynnmarie Katherine Lang, 22, admitted when she pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance that she initially lied to police. She was sentenced to 21/2 years in prison on Tuesday.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Bowden sentenced both.
The two were riding in a stolen van with Feroz Rahman, 23, when they stopped at a remote location near power lines in the 19500 block of Burn Road.
Lang told authorities she was switching license plates while the two men were throwing out materials from the van.
She said she heard the men argue, then there was a gunshot. Rahman’s body was dumped nearby.
Later that day, Lang and Noyes were arrested for possessing the stolen van. The two were connected to the homicide by papers and other materials found later near Rahman’s body, deputy prosecutor Ed Stemler said.
When they were questioned about the shooting in January, Noyes and Lang denied any knowledge of it. Later, they both accused each other of the shooting until Lang changed her story and Noyes pleaded guilty.
Noyes didn’t have a previous criminal record, one reason why Stemler was willing to recommend the low end of the sentencing range, 183 months.
Also, Stemler said he agreed to a lower penalty because Noyes pleaded guilty fairly early, and didn’t put Rahman’s family through a trial.
“It was an important step for him to take responsibility for this right away,” Stemler said Tuesday. “It’s fair to say the victim’s family is glad to get some closure today.”
Rahman’s parents attended the sentencing hearing, Stemler said. His father came from Arizona.
Lang also has pleaded guilty to being in possession of the stolen van. Noyes is expected to plead guilty to the same crime next week, but probably won’t get additional prison time, Stemler said.
