Leader of home invasion crew sentenced for 2022 killing of Everett mother
Published 3:11 pm Wednesday, March 11, 2026
EVERETT — A Snohomish County Superior Court judge sentenced one of the leaders of an armed robbery crew connected to the death of Irah Sok to 25 years in prison Wednesday. This came after the 24-year-old man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder per a plea agreement in federal court.
According to the plea agreement, Christopher Johnson admitted he was part of the robbery crew responsible for a series of crimes across western Washington that included co-defendant Kevin Thissel, 29, and other co-conspirators, according to a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office social media post. During the summer of 2022, the group targeted families for home invasion robberies.
The Daily Herald previously reported that Johnson and Thissel would target Asian American families.
The crew would reportedly create a climate of fear by bursting into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black, wearing masks and claiming to be police with guns drawn. They used zip-ties to restrain victims, including children as young as 9, and steal any valuables they could get from the home.
One of these robberies resulted in the death of the 36-year-old Everett woman.
Around 3 a.m. Aug. 19, 2022, three armed suspects kicked in the front door of Sok’s home in the 2600 block of 96th Street SE. They went into the bedroom where Sok and her husband were sleeping. One shot her as her child, 7, was next to her. The suspects zip-tied her husband on the floor. The suspects ransacked the house, stole thousands of dollars’ worth of belongings and fled.
Sok’s husband ran to the house of a neighbor, who called 911.
As part of a plea agreement in U.S. District Court on Feb. 2, Johnson agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court for the fatal shooting of Sok. Both sides would recommend a 25-year sentence to run concurrently with the federal sentence.
On Wednesday morning, Johnson pleaded guilty, and Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Patrick Moriarty sentenced him to 25 years in prison, the post said.
At his federal court sentencing set for May 6 before U.S. District Judge Lauren King, Johnson faces up to life in prison. Under his plea agreement, the prosecution and defense will recommend a 25-year prison term.
Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com. X: @JennaMillikan
