EVERETT – Kaare Johnson was beaten, burned and shot to death over $500.
His killer likely will spend the next 15 years in prison.
Antonio M. Martinelli, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm Friday in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, Martinelli expects to spend 15 years behind bars.
The agreement was reached with the consent of Johnson’s family, deputy prosecutor Janice Albert said.
Johnson’s mother and sister, both from Moses Lake, were in court Friday as Martinelli admitted that he shot and killed Johnson, 22, inside the Everett Motel on Oct. 6, 2004.
According to court records, Johnson and another man forged a check for $700 at a Stanwood bank. Johnson deposited $500 in his bank account.
Martinelli and a woman, who was staying at the motel, demanded Johnson turn over the money or provide them with the personal identification number for his account.
When Johnson refused, Martinelli punched him and burned him with a butane lighter.
Martinelli then shoved a .44-caliber gun in Johnson’s mouth and pulled the trigger, Albert wrote in the charging documents.
Three people, including an 11-year-old girl were inside the motel room bathroom when the shooting occurred.
Martinelli has seven felony convictions, including drug possession, burglary and forgery.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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