Teen appeals murder, manslaughter convictions

A convicted killer has already appealed the November jury verdict that landed him in prison for 26 years earlier this week.

Donald Smiley-Lyle, 19, was found guilty of first-degree felony murder and first-degree manslaughter by a jury Nov. 16. He helped strangle a Spokane man in a dispute over a Beatles poster, according to court records.

On Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Neal Rielly sentenced Smiley-Lyle to 314 months, or more than 26 years, in prison. But he was also given credit for more than a year and a half he had already spent in the Spokane County Jail.

The jury agreed with Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Steve Garvin that Smiley-Lyle helped 20-year-old Robert A. Entel kill Robert “Bud” Johnson in March 2006.

Entel earlier received a 25-year prison sentence after he cut a deal with prosecutors to testify against Smiley-Lyle.

Both young men were placed as teenagers at Morning Star Boys Ranch, where they became friends, practiced martial arts and fantasized about creating their own militia.

In March 2006, they plotted to kill Johnson as a favor to Entel’s cousin, Kathryn B. Kelly, 31, who had lived briefly with Johnson. He gave Kelly a “Hard Day’s Night” Beatles poster but apparently stole the poster back.

Prosecutors alleged that Kelly sought the help of Entel and Smiley to retrieve the poster. A jury acquitted Kelly in connection with instigating Johnson’s death.