MONROE — The state has denied a request for early parole from a man who raped and killed a 12-year-old girl in Stanwood in 1997.
David Dodge, now 38, can petition for his freedom again in 2023.
He appeared earlier this month before the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which works closely with state corrections. The board determined he was more likely than not to commit a new offense if released.
Dodge’s current descriptions of what happened in 1997 minimized his crimes and contradicted court records, according to the board’s Sept. 19 decision.
He continues to exhibit aggressive behavior within the Monroe Correctional Complex and does not respond well to criticism, the board found. It also questioned his emotional stability in handling disappointment and conflict.
Dodge originally was from Camano Island. At the time of the murder, he was 17 and living in south Snohomish County in a group home as a result of a burglary conviction.
He ran away from the group home to Stanwood and went to a party with friends. He wandered off from the gathering and broke into a house nearby, where the victim, Ashley Jones, was babysitting.
He said he hit her in the head with a stick just once, but autopsy results showed a broken skull and other, more widespread trauma.
Dodge was convicted in 1998 of first-degree murder, second-degree rape and three counts of burglary. Once imprisoned, he got into trouble several times for sexual behavior toward staff. He hasn’t had a serious violation of prison rules in more than a decade, according to public records.
He also has gotten married, to a woman who used to be a state corrections officer. They claim the relationship started after she left the job. The board noted that the woman lives with her adult daughter, who has concerns about Dodge ever moving in with them, records show.
Dodge initially was sentenced in Snohomish County to 62 years in prison. The state Court of Appeals found fault with the judge’s reasoning, and Dodge was re-sentenced in 2000, to nearly 50 years.
The newest review of his case was spurred by changes in the laws governing offenders who entered the system as juveniles.
The Indeterminate Sentence Review Board has jurisdiction over some of those cases. Inmates with lengthy sentences for convictions as juveniles in adult court can petition the board for a hearing after they’ve served at least 20 years, among other requirements.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @rikkiking.
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