‘Blood oath’ trial expected to start soon

Published 11:13 pm Friday, May 21, 2010

EVERETT — Jurors are expected to begin hearing testimony next week in the trial of a Gold Bar man accused of killing and dismembering his girlfriend after she broke a “blood oath.”

Eric Christensen appeared to take notes on Friday as lawyers argued over pretrial tactics and how each has responded to the ongoing investigation and voluminous discovery in the four months since Christensen was charged with first-degree murder.

Christensen is accused of killing Sherry Harlan on Jan. 2 inside her Everett apartment. Harlan was dismembered and mutilated. Her remains were found scattered in locations around rural east Snohomish County.

Prosecutors allege that Christensen killed Harlan in a fit of jealous rage. Christensen reportedly told detectives that Harlan took a “blood oath” with him, vowing to break off her relationship with another man, who Christensen called Harlan’s “sugar daddy.”

Prosecutors allege that when Christensen found text messages between Harlan and the other man, he became enraged and murdered Harlan.

Christensen told detectives that he and Harlan had a heated fight but he denies killing her.

Murder cases can often take months to investigate and prepare before trial begins.

Both sides have argued that they haven’t received witness lists, discovery and other materials in a timely fashion.

Christensen’s attorney Kathleen Kyle had asked a judge in March to compel the state to release discovery that the state argued was raw data and not ready.

A week later prosecutors asked to delay the trial two months to give them time to prepare. Kyle opposed the delay.

The judge agreed to give prosecutors more time, citing the complexity of the case, multiple crime scenes and the condition of the victim.

Kyle on Friday tried to convince Superior Court Judge Thomas Wynne that some forensic evidence should be excluded because she hadn’t received reports.

Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson argued against the request, saying that the defense chose to rush a complex case to trial. He was working to provide the information as soon as possible.

Kyle told Wynne it was the prosecutor’s decision to charge Christensen when he did. When the charge was filed in late January, her client was already in jail on a separate matter with a March 13 trial date. Christensen has a constitutional right to a speedy trial, she said.

Wynne declined to throw out the evidence. He agreed that the case is complex and he didn’t find evidence that prosecutors or the defense were stalling in providing information to each other.

“This investigation is ongoing and probably will be ongoing up to when it’s presented to the jury,” he said. “That’s the nature of the case.”

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.