EDMONDS — A Lynnwood woman who allegedly admitted helping a murder suspect hide from police, including cutting off his long dreadlocks, is now facing consequences.
Riley Rae McGhie, 23, was charged earlier this week with one count of felony first-degree rendering criminal assistance.
She’s accused of helping Derrick Elijah “Wiz” Crawford, 22, go into hiding after fatally shooting a roommate Jan. 6.
Crawford was ultimately captured, pleaded guilty to murdering Joshua Werner, 27, and was sentenced to just shy of 14 years in prison.
But he was on the loose for about 10 days before police caught up with him, in part because of McGhie’s assistance, deputy prosecutor Robert Grant wrote in Snohomish County Superior Court papers.
McGhie reportedly told police that not long after he killed Werner, Crawford called her, said he was dealing with an emergency and asked her to pick him up. When she arrived, the killer climbed out from behind some bushes, lay down in her car and told her to drive, Grant wrote.
He told her he’d shot Werner in the head and had tossed his guns, court papers said.
They went to McGhie’s home, where they cut off Crawford’s dreadlocks in an attempt to obscure his identity. The next morning, she drove him to a home in Pierce County as part of a bid to flee to California, Grant wrote.
Crawford instead wound up in Everett, where the police cornered him in a closet.
He surrendered and swiftly pleaded guilty.
If convicted as charged, this would be McGhie’s first felony.
Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews.
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