Lewis County Sirens.com

Weston G. Miller mostly just listens as attorneys and the judge discuss his upcoming murder trial in Lewis County Superior Court.

Updated at 5:56 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – With just a week before his trial is set to begin, the former welder who fatally shot a houseguest inside his Centralia home has decided not to attempt to get an acquittal based on insanity, but on straight self defense.

Weston G. Miller, 30, and his lawyer went before a Lewis County Superior Court judge this morning to discuss how the change meant they need to postpone his trial.

“I hope the court would realize, it’s like starting over, basically from scratch,” Centralia attorney J.P. Enbody told the judge.

Enbody said it meant dealing with different experts, different criteria and different facts.

Judge Richard Brosey granted the delay but wasn’t happy.

Miller is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old David Wayne Carson.

Police called the afternoon of March 13 to Miller’s house on B Street found Carson dead with two bullet wounds in his chest and chased down Miller who had left in a pickup truck. Officers were told Carson and his girlfriend Sara Delsavo had been arguing and Miller told them to stop it.

Miller has claimed self defense from the beginning.

He said Carson came at him with a knife in his hand, but Delsavo said her boyfriend was unarmed, according to charging documents.

Among the further work to be done mentioned this morning was the defense getting an expert to review the autopsy findings regarding gun powder residue and the proximity of the two men to each other.

The trial has been repeatedly pushed into the future as attorneys have dealt with examinations by doctors about Miller’s competence to stand trial and his mental state at the time of the shooting.

Last month the court was informed he wanted to plead not guilty by reason of insanity and a hearing was planned so a judge could hear from experts on both sides. It’s cancelled.

Miller is also charged with several counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm as detectives say when they searched his home, they found a a MAC-10 semi-automatic and four other guns.

Miller’s previous domestic violence assault means he’s prohibited from possessing firearms.

Centralia police also allegedly discovered a silencer and a bullet-proof vest in the house.

The trial, which is expected to last five days or less, is now scheduled for the week on April 15.
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For background, read “B Street homicide: Defendant says self defense” from Wednesday March 14, 2012, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Law enforcement officers are looking for a 55-year-old Ashford man who allegedly held a cordless drill to the neck of his female roommate last night as she tried to shield her 4-year-old child.

Robert C. Sliger

Robert C. Sliger is wanted for first-degree assault as well as an outstanding warrant, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called to the home on the 100 block of Nisqually Way about 11:15 p.m. yesterday where they say the two had a disagreement about Sliger eating all the donuts.

The 27-year-old woman said her roommate threw pieces of firewood at her head and then followed her onto the porch as she attempted to call 911 and beat her with a metal bar, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sliger had left the residence before deputies arrived.

“She said that he then set the bar down and picked up a yellow cordless drill,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. “She said as she was trying to shield her 4-year-old daughter, he pulled the trigger on the drill and pushed it towards her throat until it was less than half an inch away from her throat.”

The victim had a large knot on her forehead and an injury to her elbow but declined medical aid, Brown said.

Sliger is known to live in both Lewis and Pierce counties, according to Brown.

The sheriff’s office said they learned of another attack over food occurred about a month ago.

The woman said Sliger struck her in the side of her head several times after she confronted him about eating her daughter’s Fruit Loops, Brown said.

John Allen Booth Jr. smiles at acquaintances in the Chehalis courtroom this afternoon while waiting for the judge to take the bench.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Convicted triple murderer John Allen Booth Jr. was escorted by three jail guards when he returned to a Lewis County courtroom today, casting grins to a small sprinkling of acquaintances who were seated in the otherwise mostly empty gallery.

The former Onalaskan was sentenced a little more than a year ago to life without the possibility of release for the August 2010 slayings of two men and a teenage boy, as well as shooting a woman in the face. Prosecutors said it came about because Booth and his former cell mate were “taxing” 52-year-old David West Sr. on behalf of Lewis County drug dealer Robbie Russell.

Booth, 33, filed a post-trial motion from prison asking a judge to vacate his judgement and sentence.

He appeared in Lewis County Superior Court today to set a date for a hearing. His lawyer said it could last for two days.

“Definitely I’m comfortable setting this even in September,” defense attorney Erik Kupka told the judge. “First of all, I don’t know exactly yet what I’m getting into.”

Kupka and an office partner of his, both based in Aberdeen, were appointed by the court just last week to represent Booth in his challenge.

The attorney said he met with his new client for the previous hour inside the jail, and indicated there was a lot of material to digest.

Judge Richard Brosey scheduled the hearings for the week of Sept. 2.

“That works for me, I guess, I’m kind locked up,” Booth offered to the judge.

Booth continued on addressing the judge directly, asking what was going to be done about undisclosed DNA evidence and other issues.

Brosey told Booth to speak to his attorney, not to him.

Booth is incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. The judge offered to hold him in the local jail for a week, so his lawyers could have easier access to meet with him.

According to testimony and evidence in the eight-day trial, Booth was visiting West Sr. at West’s Salkum-Onalaska area home when West brought out a shotgun to get him to leave and Booth shot him with a 9 mm handgun. Prosecutors said the shootings that followed were executions to eliminate witnesses.

Losing their lives that day, along with West Sr., were 16-year-old David “D.J.” West Jr. and 50-year-old Tony Williams of Randle. West Sr.’s girlfriend, Denise Salts, survived.

Booth denied even being present, but a jury took only two hours to convict him of murder, attempted murder, attempted extortion and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

He was sentenced under the state’s so-called three strikes law.
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For background, read “Salkum triple murder: Victims cry, defendant lashes out at sentence hearing” from Friday December 16, 2011, here

David Low, right, sits with his attorney Don Blair as he is sentenced in connection with Hub City Natural Medicine

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The first of four people arrested after police raided what they said was a marijuana dispensary in downtown Centralia was sentenced yesterday to two days in jail.

With two days credit for time served, essentially no time, Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher told a judge yesterday afternoon.

Hub City Natural Medicine opened with a city-granted business license on South Tower Avenue in early 2011. It was shut down in late April of that year after police realized what “education and sales of natural medicine” meant and said they twice caught a worker selling marijuana there.

At the time, some cities in Washington, such as Tacoma, allowed dispensaries of medical marijuana to operate, where, in theory, patients with authorizations make donations to obtain cannabis.

“In five years, maybe what Mr. Low was doing would be legal,” Meagher told the court. “It wasn’t then, and it isn’t now.”

Meagher and defense attorney Don Blair reached a plea agreement in the case of 38-year-old David Low, of Centralia.

Low and two other individuals alleged to be the owners were charged with maintaining a premises for using controlled substances.

He pleaded guilty yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court, with a so-called Alford plea, to attempting to maintain a premises for using controlled substances.

“I think everybody agrees the laws are kind of in flux,” Blair told the judge. “I’m confident at least within five years, all of this will be legal.”

Judge Nelson Hunt was told Low was attempting to start an educational business to teach people to grow marijuana and both sides agreed he never gave any to anyone.

Low, who is also known as the “Dirty Cop Enforcer”, maintains a web site where he berates what he sees as injustices committed by public officials, and in particular police officers.

He said he started the crusade after a traffic stop in late 2011 and what he says was the wrongful turning off of his video camera by a Centralia officer.

Low told the judge he thought his case grew out of a misunderstanding of his role and a “lot of stereotyping.”

“I never intended to commit a crime there,” Low told Judge Hunt. “I have to take responsibility.”

Hunt accepted the plea and sentencing recommendation and told Low he was free to leave, after providing a DNA sample to jail staff.

The crime is an unranked felony, meaning it has a sentence of up to 365 days, according to Meagher.

Still awaiting trials are Lauri Spangler, 47, and Colby Cave, 35, of Curtis. They remain charged with maintaining a premises for using controlled substances. A charge of possession of a stolen ATV that grew out of a search of their property has been dropped, Meagher said.

Daniel J. Mack, 41, who was arrested during the April 20, 2011 raid of Hub City Natural Medicine for delivery and possession of marijuana, pleaded guilty in June. He has yet to be sentenced, according to Meagher.

Mack was persuaded to testify against the others, Meagher said.
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For background, read “Centralia police seize computers, products at medical marijuana business” from Thursday April 21, 2011, here