Suspect May Face Death Penalty In Killings

Joseph “JoJo” Andrews is facing a possible death sentence for the execution-style killings of a Spokane couple.

Spokane County Prosecutor Jim Sweetser took legal steps to seek the death penalty this week after Andrews refused to plead guilty to two counts of aggravated first-degree murder.

Such a move would have resulted in a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

Sweetser and defense lawyers Donald Westerman and Paul Wasson refused to comment on the developments Tuesday.

While Andrews is scheduled to

stand trial April 3, both sides are expected to request months of additional preparation time.

Andrews, 24, is accused of gunning down a man and a woman as they sat in a parked car in Browne’s Addition last Feb. 19.

Another woman told police she witnessed the early morning killings.

She said she was sitting next to Andrews when he suddenly pulled out a 9mm pistol and fired at least six times.

The defendant is accused of shooting Larry Eaves and Eloise Patrick, both 37, in the back of the head.

Eaves, who owed Andrews about $1,000 in drug money, was sitting behind the steering wheel of Patrick’s 1979 Buick Regal.

Patrick was in the passenger seat.

The blood-splattered car was found parked on the side of a Safeway store on South Ash.

Andrews, described by police as a drug dealer, was arrested months later in the Los Angeles area. He was extradited to Spokane in October.

According to the affidavit of facts filed in the case, detectives say they found a washcloth in Andrews’ Spokane motel room that was used to wipe off the murder weapon.

They also found bloodstains on tennis shoes worn by the alleged witness that night.

A couple of hours before the killings, two men reported seeing Andrews arguing with Eaves outside Chan’s Dragon Inn restaurant on West Third.

Andrews was yelling and had a gun in his right hand, the men told police.