Suspect Will Admit Killings Man Expected To Plead Guilty To Killing Waverly Couple

Fearing a possible death penalty, a Spokane man is expected to plead guilty today to the shotgun killings of a Waverly couple.

Instead of letting a jury decide his fate, Cheyenne T. Brown, 20, will accept the mandatory sentence for two counts of first-degree murder - life imprisonment without parole, his attorney said.

Brown and 19-year-old K.C. Therriault are charged with aggravated murder for killing Gertrude and Allen Mattausch. The victims, both in their 60s, were shot to death Jan. 23 in their farmhouse bedroom.

The couple hired Brown to do odd chores on their south Spokane County farm in exchange for room and board.

Therriault, who lived with Brown at the time of the killings, is considering entering a guilty plea to the same murder charges.

But because he has below-average intelligence, Therriault does not face the death penalty if convicted, county prosecutors said.

Police say Brown and Therriault decided to rob and kill the Mattauschs, then get away in a vehicle stolen from the farm.

Both men were angry at the couple for different reasons, prosecutors said.

Allen Mattausch, 66, filed a complaint against Brown for stealing a pickup truck last October. Brown wound up spending 60 days in jail for the crime.

Therriault was angry with the couple for making fun of him.

Under state law, the death penalty is not an option for mentally retarded defendants like Therriault, who have IQs below 70. But prosecutors say they could still put Therriault on trial for murder.

“The IQ issue doesn’t mean he’s not competent to stand trial,” Spokane County Prosecutor Jim Sweetser said.

Therriault’s attorney, Richard Sanger, couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.

Brown is not obligated to testify against Therriault if he stands trial as scheduled this fall, said Brown’s attorney, Donald Westerman.

“There are no conditions on this (plea bargain),” said Westerman, the county public defender. Westerman said Brown decided months ago to plead guilty rather than risk being convicted.

Prosecutors accepted the plea agreement last week, after reviewing documents submitted by Westerman that detailed reasons why Brown should not face the death penalty.

“Ultimately, that option was the club over our heads,” Westerman said.

The defendants reportedly confessed to the killings shortly after being arrested by Spokane police the day of the murders.

Brown has convictions for car theft and forgery dating back to 1995. Therriault has no criminal record in Spokane County.

Both men are being held in the Spokane County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.

, DataTimes