Teen gets 3 years for Everett robbery; murder charges dropped
Published 9:04 pm Monday, June 15, 2015
EVERETT — As she was led from a courtroom in shackles a teenager kept her head turned from the sisters of a man who was murdered during a botched robbery in January.
Kyelee Milner, 18, didn’t offer an apology or say anything before she was sentenced Monday to three years in prison. She pleaded guilty earlier this month to first-degree robbery.
Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Chris Dickinson initially charged Milner with first-degree murder for the Jan. 21 shooting that ended Jeffery Wehl’s life.
Dickinson said Monday the murder charge was dropped because there wasn’t enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Milner knew that Ali Ramadhan, 19, was going to shoot Wehl during a robbery.
Ramadhan pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and faces at least 20 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.
Milner’s attorney told the judge on Monday that his client didn’t know that Ramadhan intended to rob Wehl. She probably knew, however, that he didn’t have the best intentions, defense attorney Gurjit Pandher said.
Milner told police she went with Ramadhan to Wehl’s W. Casino Road apartment to engage in prostitution. She was 17 at the time.
Ramadhan shot Wehl in the head and then stole jewelry off the dying man. He and Milner fled the apartment. A neighbor called 911 after finding Wehl, 57, on the kitchen floor. He died three days later.
His sisters on Monday said their brother’s senseless death has been devastating. They said the defendant should spend more time in prison, particularly because she didn’t do anything to stop the robbery and didn’t call 911 after Wehl was shot.
“She helped murder my brother,” one sister said.
Pandher told the judge that Milner was drunk and high on heroin at the time.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Marybeth Dingledy ordered Milner to be evaluated for a drug addiction. She encouraged the teen to address her substance abuse or she’d likely end up back in prison or dead.
“When you start doing drugs you stop being the person you are,” Dingledy said.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley
