EVERETT — An Oregon couple made a quick court appearance Wednesday afternoon in Everett some three weeks after prosecutors say they fled the scene of a double homicide here and committed two more killings before their capture in northern California.
David “Joey” Pedersen and Holly Grigsby pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated murder. They are accused of killing Pedersen’s father, David “Red” Pedersen, and his wife, Leslie “DeeDee” Pedersen.
They also are suspects in the shooting deaths of Cody Meyers and Reginald Clark. Myers, 19, was killed in Oregon during a trip to a jazz festival. Clark, 53, died in his pickup truck near a California grocery store where the disabled man allegedly first encountered Grigsby.
No charges have been filed in those two cases.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson asked the judge Wednesday to set a Nov. 14 hearing to address whether Prosecuting Attorney Mark Roe will seek the death penalty. Roe has 30 days from Wednesday to make a decision unless the lawyers agree that they need more time to investigate and compile information about the two defendants’ backgrounds.
An extension is likely in this case to give investigators time to gather all those materials.
One of Joey Pedersen’s attorneys also explained Wednesday that he will be on vacation during most of November.
Pedersen is being represented by public defender Donald Wackerman and Seattle attorney Gil Levy, who is legally qualified to defend people facing the death penalty. Everett attorney Pete Mazzone and Seattle lawyer Peter Connick represent Grigsby. Both are death-penalty qualified.
The defendants made their appearances via video from the Snohomish County Jail. The pair arrived in Everett on Tuesday afternoon and spoke with detectives for several hours before being booked into jail.
Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman ordered the defendants to be held without bail.
They were kept separate during Wednesday’s hearing. Pedersen was brought in first and quickly pleaded not guilty to both counts. The tattoo inked onto his neck was visible above the collar of his bright orange jail jumpsuit.
Pedersen and Grigsby both have ties to white supremacist groups. Grigsby, 24, allegedly told detectives that they killed Myers because he had a “Jewish” sounding last name. Pedersen has denied that claim. Grigsby also allegedly told investigators that she and Pedersen were on their way to Sacramento to “kill more Jews” when they were arrested, according to court papers. Myers was a Christian.
Pedersen, 31, allegedly has admitted that he shot his father because he suspected him of molesting a family member. Everett police have said they haven’t proven those molestation allegations.
Red and DeeDee Pedersen’s relatives and friends attended Wednesday’s hearing.
DeeDee Pedersen’s daughters told The Herald earlier this month that they’d only met Red Pedersen’s estranged son the weekend before last month’s homicides.
They said they think that Red Pedersen wanted to have a relationship with his son. Joey Pedersen has spent most of his adult life locked up in prison.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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