Two charged in downtown beating death

Two men, including one who was found by police hiding between mattresses in a north Spokane home, have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the Sept. 15 beating death of a Spokane Valley construction worker.

Spokane Police major crimes detectives have been investigating the case since Richard “Ricky” Morgan, 39, was found lying on the ground at about 7:55 a.m. at Second Avenue and Madison Street. He had a bruise on his cheek and a laceration on the back of his head.

According to court records, Morgan initially was talking to emergency personnel but would not tell officers what had happened before he was transported to Deaconess Medical Center.

“In the emergency room, (Officer) Aspaas overheard the victim tell a nurse that he had been assaulted,” Detective Brian Hamond wrote in his report.

However, Morgan had suffered a basal skull fracture and fell into a coma. He died on Sept. 20.

Hamond and Detective Terry Ferguson investigated the case, and they were able to determine that two men had encountered Morgan on Sept. 15. A dispute erupted over a drug deal, Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

Those men were later identified as 35-year-old Anthony E. Pritchett and 27-year-old Shomari M. Jackson, Cottam said.

On Wednesday afternoon, officers found Pritchett between mattresses in a house on East Augusta. He was carrying two knives when he was taken into custody, Cottam said.

Then on Thursday morning, officers found and arrested Jackson at his home in Spokane Valley, Cottam said. Both were booked on a charge of second-degree murder.

On Thursday afternoon, Pritchett had his first appearance, and Court Commissioner Brad Chinn ordered him held on a $500,000 bond because of his criminal history and danger to the community.

Chinn said Pritchett has adult convictions for riot with a deadly weapon, first-degree robbery, first-degree theft and nine failures to appear since 1999. He was also on felony probation at the time of his arrest.

Jackson has a criminal record in the Seattle area, Cottam said.

The victim’s oldest brother, Johnnie Morgan, said the family was relieved to learn of the arrest of Pritchett and Jackson.

“I and the family are so sincerely appreciative of the Police Department and how quickly they were able to arrest the people responsible,” Morgan said. “It helps provide some closure for something that was senseless and a shocking thing for the family.”

The funeral for Ricky Morgan was held last Saturday, his sister Lisa Morgan said.

“It was just really amazing to see how many people came to say goodbye to my brother,” she said. Detective Hamond “told us in the beginning that it was a priority to him, and he has proven that it was a priority to him.”