Man pleads guilty in slaying

Sat., Oct. 30, 2004

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

A 21-year-old Spokane man pleaded guilty Friday to first-degree murder for stabbing his ex-girl-friend’s stepmother to death last December.

Nathan W.L. Giorgianni told police he killed Yukiko Evans in her home in the 200 block of West Montgomery “as a gift” to her stepdaughter, Jennifer Evans.

Giorgianni stabbed Evans in the abdomen, throat, cheeks and eyes with an 8-inch kitchen knife he bought for that purpose. He left the knife sticking in her chest.

With her carotid artery severed, Yukiko Evans bled to death.

Giorgianni told police in a videotaped interview he believed Evans had been abusive to her stepdaughter and had alienated Jennifer Evans from her father. Giorgianni said he wanted to kill someone who had hurt Jennifer Evans.

He got ready for the Dec. 13 crime by purchasing the murder weapon that evening at the downtown Safeway store on West Third.

His first choice for a victim had been a former boyfriend of hers, but that man didn’t answer the phone when Giorgianni called to find out whether he was at home. Then, Giorgianni said, he called Jennifer Evans and learned that her stepmother likely would be home alone.

Giorgianni told Evans he might stop by her home after running some errands. Then he took a bus to Yukiko Evans’ house, where she let him in because she knew him and because he pretended he wanted to repay some money he owed her.

Inside the house, Giorgianni confessed, he told Yukiko Evans that Jennifer had broken up with him and his life was now meaningless. He said he told her he was afraid to commit suicide, but wanted to do something to make someone else’s life better.

The slight-built Giorgianni said he tried to strangle his victim after knocking her down and beating her, but realized he wasn’t strong enough. So he dragged her to the knife, which had fallen out of his coat pocket, and began stabbing her.

Giorgianni told police he felt calm and happy as he walked to Jennifer Evans’ nearby home.

He and Jennifer Evans told police that, when Giorgianni got to her home, he told her he had done something bad, declining at first to say what.

Then he called his mother and told her he had done something for which she could never forgive him. Next he called police to report the murder.

Not believing him, Jennifer Evans walked to her parents’ home and Giorgianni followed. He said he went into the house first and locked the door so Evans wouldn’t see the carnage. Then he called police again, and walked out to surrender when they arrived.

“Yes, sir,” Giorgianni said over and over in a clear, unemotional voice Friday as Superior Court Judge Neal Rielly quizzed him about his guilty plea.

The plea came at a hearing that had been scheduled for a prosecution motion to amend the charge to aggravated murder, which could have led to the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Deputy Prosecutor Stephen Garvin agreed to seek a standard-range prison term when Giorgianni is sentenced Jan. 7. Under state law, Giorgianni must be sentenced to at least 22 years.

The standard maximum he could get is 26 2/3 years.

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