Everett landlord, convicted of murder, sentenced for another assault

EVERETT — A landlord convicted of killing one of his tenants pleaded guilty Tuesday to assaulting another tenant with a tire iron.

In September 2019, Lloyd Richmond, 86, was giving the female tenant a ride home when he stopped on 63rd Avenue SE to check on his boat, according to charges filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.

For reasons that aren’t explained in the charges, except that Richmond “just broke,” the landlord then told her to get out of the car and pepper-sprayed her, according to the charges. She tried to run, but Richmond brought her to the ground and hit her with a tire iron, court documents said. The woman said he injured her hands as she tried to defend herself.

The assault was broken up by a witness who heard the woman screaming, according to court papers. The witness told Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies she observed Richmond straddling her and holding a metal object in his hand. The witness told the defendant to get off of her, and he did, prosecutors wrote.

Another witness told police he saw Richmond holding her neck down with one hand, wielding a tire wrench with the other. Police said Richmond acknowledged he assaulted the woman.

Richmond was sentenced Tuesday for one count of third-degree assault, a felony. Superior Court Judge Karen Moore gave Richmond one year in prison. The term will run concurrent with his previous conviction of murder.

Another charge of second-degree assault, where Richmond was accused of grabbing a third tenant by the throat, was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. In that case, the tenant reported Richmond grabbed his throat and pushed him against a wall during an argument, leaving marks on his neck.

In January, Richmond was sentenced to 15 years in prison for murdering one of his other tenants, Justin Allan.

Richmond’s defense attorney Samantha Sommerman requested a sentence of 17 months, far below the standard range for second-degree murder, citing his age and medical concerns. Superior Court Judge Cindy Larsen denied the request.

“Those near the end of their lives cannot simply be excused for killing people,” the judge said.

In August 2021, Allan was living in a building at the 8800 block of Del Campo Drive with a few other tenants. Another tenant told investigators Allan would argue with Richmond over rent.

Richmond operated the building as a boarding house for people struggling with addiction. Prosecutors alleged he used this to take advantage of them. Richmond said he was trying to help them.

In one argument Aug. 26, 2021, another tenant overheard the landlord tell Allan, “people are going to start dying, and you’d better watch yourself, or I’m going to kill you,” court documents said.

A couple of days later, Richmond’s neighbor was sitting on his patio when he heard three gunshots, he told police.

Throughout the day, the neighbor saw Richmond using a winch in the truck to lift a “human-sized” mound into the truck bed, according to court records. Later on, he moved the mound into the back of a red Chevy Trailblazer and drove away.

The landlord returned later that night, disheveled and appearing panicked, the neighbor noticed. He saw Richmond using some kind of absorbent material on the driveway to cover red stains. On Aug. 30, the neighbor called the cops.

Police found Richmond driving the Chevy Trailblazer on Sept. 3 and arrested him. Officers found blood on his shoes, a trail of blood in his driveway and in the SUV.

Allan’s body was found a month later in Kittitas County.

An autopsy revealed a .22-caliber bullet in his body — matching a pistol Richmond had when police arrested him, according to court records.

Richmond had no previous felony criminal history.

In court Tuesday, Richmond said he didn’t know where to start.

“I blacked out on the day I assaulted (her),” he said. “I did what I did and I’m ashamed of it. I lost control of my life. I was trying to help homeless drug addicts, and they turned on me.”

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.