Good scientific and police work led to the capture of the man who ran down and killed Brian Somes in the driveway of the Snohomish home where he grew up, a deputy prosecutor said Thursday.
Kevin Christopher Stewart, 29, of Everett pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of vehicular homicide and several other theft and drug charges. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18. He could spend more than nine years behind bars.
Somes, 47, was found dead in his gravel driveway in the 9100 block of 52nd Street SE about 6:30 a.m. May 6, 2004, deputy prosecutor Paul Stern said.
He lived in a trailer on his parents’ property nearby and went to check on some suspicious activity at the house, which at the time was for sale. A relative found Somes’ body.
Stewart originally was charged with second-degree murder, but Stern said a jury might have gone for a lesser charge, such as manslaughter.
Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives Patrick Vanderweyst and Kelly Willoth spent more than six months piecing the case together, and Washington State Patrol scientists did some “brilliant” forensic work, Stern said.
Among other things, scientists were able to link a paint scrape to Stewart, as well as cut marks from a bolt cutter in Stewart’s possession to a padlock cut on the Someses’ property, Stern said.
“Key pieces (of forensic evidence) showed some real creativity by forensic scientists,” Stern said.
Stern said Somes had a crushing injury to his right leg, rib fractures and multiple cuts and bruises to his face and head. He died as a result of those injuries, Stern said.
In court, Stewart admitted he backed a rented pickup pulling a trailer into the Someses’ driveway. He said he took off rapidly when Somes confronted him and that Somes had been standing between the truck and trailer at the time.
A neighbor told police he heard tires screeching and a crashing sound around 5:30 that morning. Another witness saw a white truck driving from the area with sparks flying.
En route to the call about Somes, deputies spotted the flatbed trailer abandoned on the side of the road near the Someses’ residence. There was a stolen go-kart on the trailer, Stern said.
Working on another theft case and not knowing anything about Somes’ death, Everett police detective Lester Letoto interviewed Stewart at a storage facility and located two bolt cutters in the rented white truck, Stern said.
Scientists later determined that one of the cutters had been used on the Someses’ padlock, Stern said. The paint scrape showed the trailer and white truck had been in contact, Stern added.
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
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