Colville man sentenced to 22 years in death of brother

Eric Harris will spend the next 22 years in prison after being found guilty of second-degree murder in the June shooting death of his brother, Larch, near Colville. A Stevens County judge handed down the sentence yesterday, said Prosecuting Attorney Tim Rasmussen. Harris, 49, told the judge at trial he “didn’t care one way or the other” what his sentence was, Rasmussen said. Eric Harris shot Larch following an argument in the early Sunday morning hours June 23, according to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office. A convicted felon, the jury also found Eric Harris guilty of illegally possessing a firearm at trial last month. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of more than 26 years because of the alleged drug use occurring at the house where the shooting took place, Rasmussen said. The jury also rejected claims Eric Harris acted in self-defense against his brother, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.