Police: Suspect admits killing

A man suspected of shooting two people on the South Hill on Tuesday night later admitted to detectives that he killed one man but denied shooting the other, police said.

Norman L. Roberts made his first court appearance Wednesday and remained in Spokane County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree assault. Police gave Roberts age as 74, but court records say he is 72.

He is accused of killing 41-year-old Kenneth G. Conklin and wounding 23-year-old Thomas L. Darco in the stomach. Darco remained in critical condition at Deaconess Medical Center on Wednesday night.

Court documents released Wednesday provide a glimpse into what witnesses told police was an argument gone bad as Roberts used a gun to break up a “drunken fight.”

According to an affidavit written by Detective Don Giese, Roberts told police that he shot Conklin three times – once each in the upper chest, head and lower chest – because he “wanted to make sure (Conklin’s) dead. He’s a bad, nasty person.”

Detectives asked Roberts why he shot the other victim, but he denied shooting Darco, according to court documents.

Joseph Harrington, who according to a search warrant owns the building at 2811 E. 30th Ave. where the shooting occurred, told investigators he and four others went to Roberts’ basement apartment, woke the man, and then drank vodka and smoked marijuana with him.

Conklin and Darco later began arguing, and Harrington left to check on businesses in the building. As he returned, he heard a loud pop, looked into the apartment and saw Conklin standing by a table covering the right side of his face with his hand.

“He shot me in the eye,” Conklin reportedly said. Roberts was standing 10 feet away holding a .22-caliber revolver, Harrington told police.

Harrington said he backed out of the room and occasionally peeked back in. He later heard another gunshot and saw Darco staggering away from the apartment, clutching his abdomen, the warrants said.