Trial in Stevens County homicide case begins

Murder suspect Kevin Wayne Newland claimed through his attorneys Wednesday that he was too drunk to remember the events last summer that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Jamie Lynn Drake.

But as the 21-year-old began to recall how the young woman’s body ended up under the floorboards of his mother’s Stevens County cabin, his attorney said, Newland decided to use Drake’s Ford Mustang to visit the people who meant the most to him, then commit suicide.

First, though, Newland stopped at NorthTown Mall for some clothes.

According to court records, Newland used Drake’s stolen credit card to buy three T-shirts and cologne called “Wired.” One shirt had “Sleeps Well with Others” printed on the front. Another had the outline of a female figure on the front, and the third shirt displayed the words “Straight Up Single.”

Newland is charged with aggravated first-degree murder in connection with the death of Drake, whose roommate at the time was Newland’s ex-girlfriend. If convicted at the trial that started Wednesday, Newland would face a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Superior Court Judge Sam Cozza said he expects the trial to last beyond Labor Day.

Drake never showed up to her job at Subway on June 23, 2006. Her disappearance sparked a statewide search that ended on June 29 when Newland led Spokane County sheriff’s detectives to the body, which was wrapped in a tarp and placed under the floor of a cabin in Stevens County.

Assistant Public Defender Brooke Hagara told jurors that her client has abused alcohol since he was 15. He started drinking heavily June 22 before going over to Drake’s apartment, where he expected to find his ex-girl-friend Jordan Sheffield.

Hagara said Newland woke up the next day at his new girlfriend’s house, but he didn’t know how he got there. As Newland began to remember events of the night before, he formulated his suicide plan, Hagara said.

Newland was in Maple Valley to visit his brother when he was arrested June 27 by King County authorities.

Spokane County sheriff’s Detective Tim Hines interviewed Newland about how he obtained Drake’s Mustang.

According to court records, Newland claimed he purchased the car for $3,000 from a man he met in a bar named “Jamie.” When confronted about the situation with Jamie Drake, Newland “continued to deny having anything to do with Jamie Drake’s disappearance.”

After he was arrested, the Mustang was returned to Spokane, where it was searched. Detectives found Newland’s wallet, containing Drake’s stolen credit card, in the Mustang’s console. On June 29, Newland led detectives to a cabin at 1166 Marble Valley Basin Road in Stevens County, where he moved a piece of plywood covering a crawl space. Inside, the detectives found Drake’s body wrapped in a tarp.

Following the discovery, Newland changed his story and said he went to Drake’s apartment on June 22. He said the door was unlocked and he let himself in, according to court records.

Newland told Hines that Drake surprised him when she tapped him on the back. When he spun around, a frightened Drake screamed. Newland put his hand over her mouth, and she bit his hand, according to court records.

“Kevin said he punched Jamie’s throat with his right hand and squeezed, at which time they both fell to the floor with Jamie striking the doorjamb with the back of her head,” Hines wrote.

Drake was hurt and was having trouble breathing. “Jamie was looking at him, and he didn’t like it so he went to the kitchen and got some plastic bags which he then placed over Jamie’s head,” Hines wrote.

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Rachel Sterett said the bags caused Drake’s death. The official cause of death was later ruled as suffocation.

Sterett indicated that the motive could have been Drake’s 1993 Ford Mustang.

Sheffield, Drake’s roommate, said she overheard Newland talking about Drake’s beloved car, which she called her ” ‘Stang.”

“Kevin was like, ‘That is my favorite car. I want one of those cars really, really bad,’ ” Sheffield testified.

After her death, dozens of Drake’s friends posted messages on Drake’s myspace.com page, which also included a picture of her with her car under the headline “Mustang Sally.”

On her Web site, Drake wrote about singing, camping and “chillin’ with my girls.”

“I’m just trying to have a good time right now and figure out who I am,” she wrote.