In brief: Teen’s statements may be used in case
A Coeur d’Alene teenager accused of killing his father and brother knew what he was doing last April when he waived his Miranda rights, answered police questions and confessed, a judge said.
The lawyer for Eldon Gale Samuel III, 15, had asked the judge to exclude from trial statements the boy made to investigators after his arrest in the killing of his father and younger brother inside the St. Vincent de Paul emergency housing unit where the three had been living.
Kootenai County Public Defender John Adams argued that police coerced Samuel into waiving his right to remain silent.
But 1st District Judge Benjamin Simpson found that Samuel’s Miranda waiver and confession were “knowing, intelligent and voluntary.”
The trial for Samuel, who faces two counts of murder, has been rescheduled to July 13. It had been set to begin March 2.
Samuel’s lawyers had asked Simpson to delay the trial until November, December or early next year. They said it is taking too much time to obtain records on the family from agencies in California, where Samuel grew up. The judge suggested the county prosecutor and public defender contemplate a plea agreement in the case.
Addy robbery suspect arrested
A suspected robber described by law enforcement as armed and dangerous was arrested Thursday morning at a home in Marysville, Washington, the Steven County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Michael Ray Snyder, 31, is a suspect in the Saturday robbery of the Old Schoolhouse Trading Post in Addy, Washington.
Stevens County sheriff’s investigators believe Snyder and James S. Lambert, 41, entered the store wearing masks and brandishing a gun. Lambert was previously arrested.
Snyder was arrested peacefully by the Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force, a compilation of law enforcement officers led by the U.S. Marshal Service, the news release said.
Gonzaga Day set for Saturday
Gonzaga University alumni and other backers will gather across North America on Saturday to celebrate the institution’s influence on their lives and communities.
The third-annual Gonzaga Day features alumni chapter gatherings in 35 cities, where participants can cheer on the men’s basketball team as it hosts Memphis in a nationally televised matchup. Two scholarships will be given out during the halftime show, which Gonzaga says will be webcast.
In Spokane, backers will gather at the DoubleTree Hotel, 322 N. Spokane Falls Court, and, of course, at the McCarthey Athletic Center for the 7 p.m. tipoff. Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh will be in Washington, D.C., for meetings and will participate in the alumni chapter activities there.