Spokane man sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to rape of child

A Spokane man was sentenced Friday to serve 16 years to life in prison after previously pleading guilty to raping an 11-year-old girl.

Elisha S. Marsh, 57, pleaded guilty in October to three counts of first-degree rape, according to a news release.

According to court records, Marsh was discovered in bed with the child on Nov. 29, 2024, in a north Spokane home. The victim later told investigators that Marsh had been sexually abusing her for about a year, but she had not told anyone about what was happening.

After pleading guilty in October, Marsh appeared Friday before Superior Court Judge Michelle Szambelan, who sentenced him.

Marsh could be eligible for release after 16 years, but the case must first go before the Washington State Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, which could decide to hold him longer.

Szambelan also imposed lifetime community custody and ordered that Marsh register as a sex offender for life. She also ordered that the victim be granted a lifetime sexual-assault protection order from him.