Stackhouse Will Go Ahead With Plea Bargain Suspect In Elk-Area Murder Had Backed Out Of Deal Earlier

Fri., May 19, 1995

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

Tobias Stackhouse changed his mind again Thursday and announced he will go ahead with a plea bargain in the charge that he murdered Elk-area homeowner Steve Roscoe.

Stackhouse, who backed out of the deal 10 days ago, now is scheduled to complete it next Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Stackhouse won’t plead guilty but will acknowledge enough facts to allow Pend Oreille County Superior Court Judge Larry Kristianson to convict him. The arrangement allows Stackhouse, 18, to appeal Kristianson’s decision to treat him as an adult even though he was a few weeks shy of 18 when Roscoe was shot to death on Jan. 11.

Jason Kukrall, 21, already has pleaded guilty to murdering Roscoe when he caught Kukrall and Stackhouse burglarizing his home. Kukrall agreed to testify against Stackhouse, who allegedly joined Kukrall in shooting at Roscoe.

The plea bargain calls for Prosecutor Tom Metzger to recommend a sentence of 23 years and four months. That is three years and four months less than the maximum standard-range sentence. Defense attorney Anna Nordtvedt said she will recommend the minimum 20-year sentence.

Stackhouse remains in the Pend Oreille County Jail and has not been arrested on Spokane County charges that he and Kukrall burglarized another Elk-area home and murdered a woman in Spokane. Deputy Spokane County Prosecutor Pat Thompson said the 60-day speedy-trial clock won’t start running for Stackhouse until he is arrested.

Meanwhile, Kukrall is to be arraigned Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court. He and Stackhouse are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Portland resident Linda Guillen. The prostitute was beaten and stabbed to death near Playfair Race Track on Dec. 1.

Kukrall and Stackhouse also are charged with first-degree burglary in a Jan. 7 break-in at Mary Foster’s Elk-area home. Foster suffered a skull fracture and amnesia in an attack with a shovel when she apparently interrupted that burglary.

Thompson declined to comment on why no assault charge was filed.

Guns taken from Foster’s home were used in the Roscoe murder.

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