Men sentenced for roles in shotgun slaying

Published 11:10 pm Thursday, September 20, 2007

Two men who were partly responsible for a shotgun slaying in March were sentenced to prison Thursday.

Aaron Markus Thompson, 23, of Everett, got a little more than five years behind bars in the shooting death of Robert Sandgren, 18, in south Everett. His companion, Justin Joseph Evans, 26, of Kenmore, got four years behind bars.

Both sentences were agreed on by prosecutors and defense lawyers.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Gerald Knight told the defendants that they need to stay off drugs, and he ordered evaluations for drug dependency.

Sandgren was shot during a drug-induced response to a complaint that Sandgren’s girlfriend had been roughed up, according to court documents.

A third defendant, Goshua Nathaniel King, 25, of Everett, carried the sawed-off shotgun into the house when the three entered Sandgren’s residence. King was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Knight last week. King pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, deputy prosecutor Cindy Larsen said.

Both Evans and Thompson pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter. Larsen said the sentencing difference between Evans and Thompson is that Thompson was more responsible for the death.

King got more time than the others because he held the shotgun and pointed it at Sandgren’s head. The weapon discharged when Sandgren grabbed at it.

The three reportedly went into the house to teach Sandgren a lesson, documents said.