Family, friends and others gather with candles at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton on Friday night to honor 16-year-old Austin King.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
MORTON – A grass field at a Morton park drew more than 200 people last night, both individuals who knew and those who never knew 16-year-old Austin King.
The gathering came three days after the body of a young adult male was discovered off a logging road 10 miles away from the missing Morton boy’s home.
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has not said the body is that of the teenager; it hasn’t been identified yet.
Hundreds of candles were lit and a handful of folks spoke before a prayer was recited.
“When I heard, I cried,” said one man who said he didn’t know Austin. “It could have been my boy.”
“We want to thank you from the bottom of our heart for bringing home our baby,” said another adult.
Another called whoever did this “monsters.”
Eloise Pugh from Glenoma whispered how unfortunate it was she didn’t see elected officials from Morton or members of the sheriff’s office present.
“It feels like they don’t care,” Pugh said quietly. “These people know their children, they know their child.”
Morton resident Jennifer Mau and women she called her “core” team coordinated blue ribbons for lapels, a jug to collect funds for funeral expenses, and balloons.
The 30-year-old is the local chapter founder of a Texas-based motorcycle group called Guardians of the Children. Their mission is to help protect abused kids, but Mau has become active in assisting and now in setting up searches for runaway children.
Members of Guardians of the Children came from as far away as Tacoma to support Austin King's family.
She organized the search effort for Austin that began not long after he vanished sometime between June 23 and 24. The teenager was labeled by the sheriff’s office as a runaway, and two or three weeks later re-classified as endangered-missing.
What happened remains a mystery.
The sheriff’s office in talking Wednesday about the unidentified body said there was no initial obvious indication of an accident or suicide and none of foul play “at this time.” But it’s not clear what they had to work from.
After an autopsy was conducted on Thursday, the remains were taken to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office in Seattle, for additional examination by a forensic anthropologist.
Yesterday, the sheriff’s office released a statement that a high priority is being given to determining the identity, but DNA testing is necessary for that.
“It’s not expected to be completed for at least another week,” the statement read.
Austin’s mother, 35-year-old Christy Harper kept a low profile at Gust Backstrom Park last night. His father Shaun King lives in Chehalis and he has numerous brothers and sisters, according to family members.
One cousin from Randle and another from Onalaska were among the many relatives who were part of the convergence at the park.
“He’s 16 years old, it shouldn’t have happened,” said A.J. Spears a cousin who was at the teenager’s home in the Tilton River Mobile Home Park when his family realized he was gone.
Like others, he’s heard lots of stories, but doesn’t know anything for sure, Spears said.
“It’s crazy, I’ve never heard of it in this area,” he said. “And I’ve lived here all my life.”
•••
To read “Vigil for Morton teen still on; body found yesterday not identified” – click here – from Wednesday July 21, 2010 at 12:06 p.m.
A collection of photographs of Austin King is displayed on a picnic table in the park in Morton on Friday night.
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Notes from behind the news: Don’t thumb your nose at a judge
July 23rd, 2010By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
I wish I could tell you more about Karen Kristine Sudderth.
She’s the woman who was sentenced this week in connection with taking her young son out of the country – years ago – allegedly hiding him from his father.
During about 30 minutes of proceedings on Wednesday in Lewis County Superior Court, I learned the gist of the case, but not enough to write a news story.
I didn’t cover her trial in June, which ended in a hung jury. And I didn’t read through her court file.
But I’ll offer a small snapshot of what I did learn listening to lengthy, detailed and even passionate discourse from attorneys, and brief but telling comments from the defendant and Judge Nelson Hunt:
Disobey a court order at your own peril, and if you want to address the judge, take the opportunity when it’s offered to you.
The prosecutor and the defense attorney put together a plea agreement in exchange for not attempting a second trial.
Sudderth pleaded guilty Wednesday to a gross misdemeanor to avoid the possibility of a felony conviction. Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher and Tacoma attorney Bryan Hershman asked the judge for a 30-day sentence and for his blessing it could be fulfilled with house arrest.
It was a so-called Alford plea, meaning she didn’t actually admit guilt.
Local attorney Paul Dugaw addressed the court on behalf of Sudderth’s former husband. He called the deprivation of a father’s right to see his child grow into an adult a travesty. Her actions were egregious, he said.
“Ms. Sudderth made a calculated decision to flaunt the orders of the court,” Dugaw said.
An order for her arrest warrant was filed in January 1997. She was brought to court last October.
After Dugaw sat down, Judge Hunt was blunt.
She will be locked up for three months (specifically 88 days), no electronic home monitoring, and “jail starts now,” the judge pronounced.
“I have a very similar view as he has expressed,” Hunt said, referring to the father’s lawyer. “We can’t have people saying, I’m going to flaunt the law, thumb my nose at the court for 15 years, and then come back and get 30 days in jail.”
Hunt noted he didn’t give Sudderth the maximum sentence, and if I understood him correctly, that had to do with choosing an amount of time less than what she would have gotten if she were convicted of the higher charge.
Her attorney Hershman asked Hunt: She has pets in her apartment, may we start that in two days?
Hunt: No we may not.
Sudderth – who had previously answered each of the judge’s inquiries to her with “Yes, your honor”, except for when he asked her before sentencing if there was anything she would like to say – stood up.
She waited.
I have to paraphrase here, but just a a little bit.
Sudderth: Your honor?
Hunt: What?
Sudderth: May I address the court?
Hunt: No.
She remains standing.
Hunt: You had your opportunity. There’s nothing you can say. The corrections officers are here for you now.
“Just sit down.”
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
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