Stanwood man gets 22 years in prison for Marysville slaying role

Published 10:26 pm Monday, March 9, 2009

A Stanwood man was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison Monday for a 2005 murder the judge called senseless, brutal and vicious.

Justin Trent, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the beating and stabbing death of Charles Hughley.

The victim’s body was found April 13, 2005, in an abandoned house in Marysville.

Trent’s fingerprints were found on a bus schedule left at the murder scene. Questioned by police in April 2008, he admitted joining three other men in a planned ambush of Hughley. He tossed away evidence from the killing.

Trent told detectives his partners “hired me as a thug, and after the thug is done he goes on his own business,” according to court papers.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Bruce Weiss said Trent deserved the maximum punishment under state sentencing guidelines. A convicted robber and burglar before the 2005 killing, Trent has continued to run afoul of the law, including a 2008 misdemeanor assault, the judge noted.

Hughley was severely beaten and sustained no fewer than two dozen cuts and stab wounds. The force used was beyond that needed to kill, and suggests Trent and the others enjoyed causing pain, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson said.

Evidence also suggests the victim was deliberately humiliated before he died, Matheson said.

“This is as bad as it gets,” he said.

Hughley’s three sisters said that while their brother had his struggles, he also was kind, generous, well-read and passionate about motorcycles.

Hughley’s family is tormented by how his life ended.

“The tears will never be enough. The ache will never go away,” his sister, JoAnn Rowley, said in a letter to the court. “We miss Chuck so much and a piece of our hearts will be gone forever.”

Trent’s attorney, Guss Markwell, said his client should be recognized for admitting involvement in the killing.

In a soft voice, Trent read a prepared statement, apologizing and also asking for mercy.

When Weiss announced Trent’s punishment, the defendant became agitated, trying to back away from the bench. A corrections officer had to repeatedly order him to remain standing in front of the judge.

Trial for a co-defendant, ­Matthew Hedgcoth, is scheduled for June.

Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com.