Man admits to role in fatal beating in 2003

A Spokane man facing a first-degree murder charge for beating another man to death two years ago pleaded no-contest Thursday to second-degree murder.

Anthony M. Shirihama, 35, admitted hitting John P. Roberson several times in the head and kicking him in the side in January 2003. He insisted he struck the blows in self-defense, but agreed there was enough evidence to convict him.

Some of that evidence would have come from his roommate, Daniel J. Haggarty, 28, who pleaded guilty in February 2004 to first-degree manslaughter. Haggarty’s sentencing has been on hold to ensure he fulfills his plea-bargain obligation to testify against Shirihama.

In statements to police, each man tried to cast blame on the other but admitted participating.

Haggarty said he watched Shirihama beat Roberson and thought, “Oh, cool.” Then, he said, “I got a couple of licks in.” Haggarty said he dragged Roberson out of the apartment building “for his own protection” after the beating.

Shirihama had left the apartment, and Haggarty said he didn’t know what Shirihama would do if Roberson were still there when he returned. Shirihama told police he went to buy cigarettes with money Haggarty gave him from Roberson’s pocket.

Police found the badly injured Roberson outside the Maplehurst Apartments at 405 S. Maple St. and followed a trail of fresh blood to Shirihama’s and Haggarty’s apartment door.

Police kicked in the door and found Shirihama and Haggarty lounging in the blood-splattered apartment. Although they disagreed about who was most culpable, both men admitted beating Roberson. Both said Roberson was beaten with a baseball bat, a cane and other objects as well being punched and kicked.

Doctors couldn’t save Roberson, whose injuries included severe bleeding inside his fractured skull. An autopsy found nine major blows to Roberson’s head, broken ribs and a broken arm.

Court documents indicate Shirihama told two witnesses he intended to harm Roberson. One of the witnesses, a neighbor of the defendants, told police Shirihama asked him for a beer and confided that he intended to beat up Roberson because “this guy ripped me off.”

Shirihama, whose record includes two convictions for second-degree assault, faces a standard range of 141/2 to almost 23 years in prison when Spokane County Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza sentences him March 18. Deputy Prosecutor Shane Smith will recommend 20 years.

Haggarty, whose sentencing date hasn’t been set, faces a standard range of 10 to almost 131/4 years.