Man convicted of murder gets 23-year sentence for Everett shooting

Published 2:56 pm Thursday, May 28, 2026

EVERETT — An Everett man will spend at least two decades in prison after a jury found him guilty of shooting and killing a stranger outside a convenience store in 2022.

Jose “Jackson” Navarro Padilla, 58, was sentenced to more than 23 years behind bars during a hearing in Snohomish County Superior Court on Thursday afternoon.

Navarro Padilla was convicted last week of second-degree murder with a firearm — the lesser of two charges filed by prosecutors — for the deadly shooting of 36-year-old Daniel Chavez at a 7-Eleven on Airport Road.

Investigators said the two men did not know each other before a brief confrontation led to gunfire on the night of Sept. 16, 2022, according to court records and trial testimony.

“I never would’ve imagined that my son’s life would be taken in such a violent way,” Cecilia Natividad Rodriguez, the victim’s mother, told the court through a Spanish interpreter while speaking on Zoom during the hearing. “My heart and my mind refuse to accept that my son was murdered in such a cruel and ruthless way.”

During an eight-day trial, Navarro Padilla testified that he feared for his life when he shot Chavez twice outside the 7-Eleven store on Airport Road and Evergreen Way.

The two men exchanged words before Navarro Padilla opened fire at point-blank range, according to charging papers and courtroom accounts.

Chavez suffered wounds to his forehead, abdomen and arm. He died at the hospital two days later.

Prosecutors filed an additional first-degree murder charge against Navarro Padilla before the trial began, arguing the shooting was premeditated, but a jury convicted on the second-degree murder charge after four hours of deliberation.

“The court has found me guilty of committing the crime, but that is not true, I am not guilty,” Navarro Padilla said through an interpreter before sentencing.

A standard sentence for second-degree murder ranges from 10 to more than 18 years, with a mandatory additional five years, because the crime was committed with a gun.

Prosecutors asked the judge to hand down the maximum possible sentence, describing the crime as senseless and preventable.

“The defendant has refused to take any responsibility or accountability for his offense,” said Snohomish County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cheryl Johnson before sentencing. “At no time has he expressed remorse for the murder of Daniel Chavez. I think the defendant represents a danger to the community moving forward.”

Defense attorney Robert O’Neil asked the judge for a minimum sentence, citing Navarro Padilla’s self-defense claim.

“There is truly no reason for the court to conclude that this was something with no cause,” O’Neil said.

Judge George Appel opted to hand down the maximum sentence within the state’s standard range of 280 months.

“I want him to pay for what he’s done, because it’s only fair. It’s not going to bring my son back, but I do want him to pay,” Natividad Rodriguez said through an interpreter. “He wouldn’t be able to take this pain away, not even with 100 years of his life.”

Navarro Padilla’s legal proceedings took more than three and a half years after his initial arrest in October 2022. Prosecutors previously said he went through five court-appointed attorneys and at times represented himself in court, causing delays in bringing the case to trial.

Through his attorney, Navarro Padilla indicated his intention to appeal the murder conviction.

Ian Davis-Leonard: 425-339-3097; ian.davis-leonard@heraldnet.com