Jury convicts Everett man of fatally shooting 2 people

EVERETT — The verdict was swift.

Hours after receiving the case, a Snohomish County Superior Court jury convicted Tye Fleischer of fatally shooting two people and attempting to kill a third in 2015.

He’s expected to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Jurors heard conflicting stories about how Fleischer ended up in the driveway of an Everett house where the gunfire erupted last year.

Prosecutors argued the Everett man planned to kill a drug dealer as well as a tenant at the clean-and-sober house he managed who’d relapsed. They believe he also planned to turn the Ruger 9mm handgun on himself.

Fleischer, 39, had relapsed on methamphetamine. The drug already had cost him his wife and children, and he was despondent over using again, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson said.

He called 911 shortly after opening fire last February and told a dispatcher he’d killed two people.

“So I’m a junkie. I got clean. My kids deserve a better father. I’m just taking out a couple pieces of (expletive) that (expletive) hurt and kill people while I’m doing it because I know people really well and I know these people have done it,” Fleischer said.

Kevin Odneal and Irene “Deni” Halverson died. A second woman, who was shot in the pelvis, survived.

Fleischer’s issue was with Odneal and the survivor. Fleischer had never met Halverson. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Matheson said.

The defense offered a different version. It argued that Fleischer wasn’t a man contemplating suicide. He’d gone to Odneal’s place to ask him and the survivor to stay away from the clean-and-sober house because his children were coming for a visit. The meeting, the defense argued, resulted in confrontation and Fleischer shot in self-defense.

Jurors rejected that account.

They found Fleischer guilty of two counts of aggravated murder as well as one count of attempted first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. He faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Sentencing is set for Monday.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

A wall diagram shows the “journey of the ballot” at the new Elections Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Auditor: No need for feds to meddle with state or local elections

Garth Fell’s comments were in response to a report of Justice Department mulling criminal charges against election officials.

Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins speaks after the city council approved her appointment on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds City Council confirms new police chief

Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins will begin in the role Aug. 1. She has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including three years in Edmonds.

The Edmonds City Council discuss the levy during a city council meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds votes to place levy lid lift on the ballot

By a vote of 5-2, the council decided to put the $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift to voters in November.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.