Teens to be tried together in murder

Two Pierce County teenagers charged with aggravated murder in the June death of a Snohomish man will be tried together, a judge ruled Friday.

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Bowden set a tentative trial date of June 27 for Austin Lee Mays, 16, of Bonney Lake and Perry Marshall Rothermel, 18, of Puyallup.

They are charged in the beating and shooting death of Larry Kloes, 49, who was found in his Snohomish home after someone broke in and stole household items, including guns.

Although Mays was only 15 at the time of the slaying, a judge ruled he should be tried as an adult. He’s being housed in the Denney Juvenile Justice Center. Rothermel is being held in the Snohomish County Jail.

The trial date was tentative because the judge Friday had difficulty coordinating his schedule with that of the attorneys.

The case was assigned to Bowen, but he said the scheduling problems could result in another judge taking the case.

Deputy prosecutor Matt Hunter told the judge the same witnesses are required for both defendants, and as a matter of judicial efficiency it makes sense to try the cases together.

Bowden agreed.

However, public defender Caroline Mann said Rothermel would like to have the case settled sooner rather than later. May’s lawyer, Max Harrison of Everett, said his schedule won’t allow him to be ready for trial until May, which would mean Rothermel would have to wait.

Prosecutors said Mays talked Rothermel and a third teen into accompanying him to Kloes’ home to steal things. They allege that the motive was revenge because Kloes previously had called police on Mays for stealing.

The third teen, Jeremy Richard Boone, 16, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in October to 36 years in prison for first-degree murder.

Boone is expected to testify against Rothermel and Mays.

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