Shooter sentenced to over 14 years for killing near Skykomish

Published 12:49 pm Monday, September 19, 2022

SKYKOMISH — A Snohomish County man was sentenced Friday to over 14 years in prison for a 2019 fatal shooting near Skykomish.

On the morning of Dec. 23, 2019, a hiker called 911. He’d found a dead body on the side of a National Forest Service road off of U.S. 2, a couple miles past the town of Skykomish, just over the King County boundary. Paramedics found the man, identified as Brandt Stewart, had been shot in the head, according to police. He was 34.

At the scene, investigators reportedly found shoe and tire prints in the snow and gravel. They also found one 9 mm shell casing near Stewart’s body.

The morning before, a friend of Stewart’s had been seen getting into a red Ford Mustang at a mini mart in Snohomish. Jeremy Tod Staeheli, now 35, was in the driver’s seat, the witness told detectives. Security footage showed the car’s license plate, according to court records.

Another witness reportedly told police he’d seen Stewart and Staeheli together about a week before the shooting.

In social media posts written after the shooting, Staeheli gave detectives more hints.

On the day Stewart’s body was found, Staeheli posted a photo of a cemetery, captioned, “Don’t wait on me. One day again.”

Five days after the shooting, the suspect posted that he was in northern California. The next day, police arrested him there. Officers found a 9 mm handgun in his waistband.

Staeheli agreed to talk to detectives. He reported he’d owned the Mustang and the gun for two weeks. And he said he’d gone to school with Stewart.

He reported picking up Stewart at a church in Snohomish and driving around on the day of the shooting. They were looking for a place to stop and urinate, so they parked on a forest road. Staeheli said he was outside on the driver’s side of the Mustang when he turned around and saw Stewart holding a knife. He said he shot the victim in self-defense.

Deputies reported Stewart was found with his hands in his pockets. In one pocket was a small knife, according to court papers.

Staeheli said the 9 mm handgun was the same weapon he used to kill Stewart.

King County prosecutors charged Staeheli with second-degree murder and unlawful firearm possession in violation of a court order. Meanwhile, he also faced third-degree and fourth-degree assault charges in Snohomish County.

Initially, a psychologist determined the defendant was not mentally competent to stand trial. He at first denied an interview with doctors, saying that various federal agencies, including the Secret Service, could vouch for him and allow his release from jail, according to court records. He claimed he was a Navy SEAL under constant surveillance by the CIA. During a previous stint in jail, he reportedly claimed he was an FBI-trained killer.

A King County judge ordered he undergo treatment at Western State Hospital. While there, doctors prescribed antipsychotics. His condition improved.

Months later, a psychologist determined Staeheli could understand the charges against him and assist in his own defense, so he could stand trial. Staeheli reported he no longer believes he works for any government agencies, and the psychologist noted he had considerably fewer delusions.

But the defendant never took it to trial. Last month, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. At the request of King County prosecutors, a judge dismissed the unlawful firearm possession charge. And on Thursday, Snohomish County prosecutors moved to dismiss the local assault charges against Staeheli.

Under state sentencing guidelines, the defendant faced between 10¼ and 18⅓ years in prison for killing Stewart. In a plea agreement, the defense and prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the that range.

King County Superior Court Judge Josephine Wiggs-Martin instead sentenced him to 14¼ years.

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.