Updated at 6:56 p.m. and 7:24 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Jurors took only two hours – over lunch – to decide John Allen Booth Jr. was guilty on all counts in his triple-murder trial in Lewis County Superior Court today.
Booth, 32, faces a sentence of life without the possibility of release under the state’s so-called three strikes law.
John Allen Booth Jr.
The former Onalaskan was convicted of first-degree murders for the deaths of 16-year-old David “D.J.” West Jr. and 50-year-old Tony Williams of Randle. He was convicted of second-degree murder for David West Sr., 52, and the attempted murder of Denise R. Salts, 52.
All were shot in the head.
The shootings took place Aug. 21, 2010 inside the Salkum-area home where the Wests and Salts had lived less than a year.
Lewis County prosecutors described the shootings as attempts to eliminate witnesses after West Sr. brought out a shotgun which prompted Booth to shoot him with a 9 mm pistol. The visit by Booth and his former prison cell mate Ryan McCarthy was related to “taxing” West Sr. on behalf of drug dealer Robbie Russell, according to prosecutors.
The eight-man, four-woman jury also found Booth guilty of attempted extortion and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Booth stood quietly beside his lawyer facing the judge, hands in trouser pockets, as the court clerk read the verdict, his eye lids dropping for a slightly long blink when he heard the word guilty.
The jury found he committed the offenses with a firearm, which adds time to a sentence, as well as determining Booth displayed or demonstrated an egregious lack of remorse in the slayings of David Jr. and Williams.
Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher and Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead described those killings as executions.
The 6-foot-3 Booth leaned back, elbow on the defense table and turned his chair toward jurors as they were polled one by one on the verdict.
When it was over, he made the comment, “Vote for Barack Obama.” Nobody replied.
Afterward, outside the courtroom, Meagher said: “This victory goes to law enforcement.”
“They caught this guy after on a manhunt after a week,” Meagher said praising the detective work.
While jurors asked to confer with the attorneys when it was over, defense lawyer Roger Hunko left without speaking to them.
“I really don’t have anything to say,” Hunko said as he packed his files into his car’s trunk outside the courthouse. “It is what it is.”
His client already has two “strikes” so another serious felony means his sentence will be life without parole, Hunko said.
When Booth took the witness stand yesterday, he denied being at the house except for earlier in the evening when he visited to collect money for a pound of methamphetamine he said he had “fronted” West Sr.
He will be sentenced at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
to whom it may concern this man is a very sick and twisted individual I know from first hand knowledge the depravity in this pricks mind THIS MAN IS A LOSER AND A COWARD MY UNCLE SHOT SOMEONE IN THE FACE TOO HE ONLY GOT SEVEN YEARS AS HE WAS WEALTHY AND HE DID A BITTER OLD LONELY PIECE OF SHIT AS THIS MONSTER WILL THIS MAN TOOK SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE AWAY FROM THERE FAMILIES i KNOW MY DAD AND CHILD ARE DEAD THIS MAN IS THE SICKEST HE NEEDS HELP AND HIS FAMILY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIM SOME ALL PEOPLE EVER SAY IS I DID NOT KNOW HE WAS LIKE THAT MY UNCLE WAS A PIECE OF SHIT COWARD TOO WHO SHOT AN INNOCENT MAN IN THE FACE IN HIS OWN HOME AND HE CLAIMED INSANITY AND GOT 7 YEARS THIS MAN AND HIS BROTHER CAN FOOL THEMSELVES IF THEY WANT TOO THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ROOMS IN HELL WHERE HE WILL BURN MUCH LOVE FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS LOSS I AM SO VERY SORRY IN THIS MAN’S MIND HE IS INNOCENT HE WILL GET HIS JUST LIKE JEFFREY DAHMER GOT HIS THEY SHOULD LET THIS MAN OUT IN GENERAL POPULATION HE WILL GET HIS
booth is a bitch and is going to b a bbitch in prison as well he got what he deserved or at least what the judge thought if he dies he dies and he deserves everything he has comming to him when he gets tto the joint
Yes, I was generalizing the whole “meth scene”. If citizens would group together to run meth heads and dealers from their communities, we would have a good chance of getting rid of it. But no, folks are too worried about being a snitch. They are scared they might get murdered or they don’t want to roll on their relatives. It has to start somewhere. Don’t let them hold the power. More and more kids are getting hooked on this crap because of the adults around them are doing it, even grandparents in some cases. It really angers me. Just the word “meth” makes me want to hit a user! The shit doesn’t make you smarter you know? This triple murder is just an example. Be strong people and regain your power!
Sharyn, you always do such a great job of reporting on the murder cases. From the earlier news reports I couldn’t get a good understanding of what this was all about. It also amazes me how people close to the cases follow your reporting and comment here on your website.
Sometimes I get a little bored with reading about the petty crime and car crashes. I think that we are running out of good murder cases for a while. Only have the Randle Taxidermist and that’s a pretty weak case.
John Booth could have stopped after shooting David West SR in the stomach , he probably would have lived . John Booth then went and shot West SR in the head and continued executing everyone in the house by shooting them in the face and head .
There was a video conference recorded with his wife / girlfriend from his jail cell and John Booth was telling her without the murder weapon he has a fighting chance , but was not looking good for him after they found the murder weapon they found in the house in Spokane that he was hiding out at .
He took pictures of himself with his phone holding his gun in his hand and waistband . He told the court he tought he deleted those pictures .
John Allen Booth will be sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release . He will spend the rest of his life in prison . He is a 3 rd strike felon .
After the shooting John Booth got on the phone and called one of his old weight lifting buddies and said ” Someone just pulled a shotgun on me and I had to put him down “
Corey W your brothers dna was on the gun ( found in Spokane) and on the shell casings recovered from the crime scene . Bullets and casings recovered from the crime scene matched the ballistics experts test firings of the gun recovered from the house in spokane . Your brothers phone call from his jail cell from lewis County jail to his bubby in Spokane was recorded . Your brother told Zach ( from Spokane ) to go across the street , to the house he was hiding out at and go get the gun out of the attic . Your brother led the police to the murder weapon himself with that phone call .
Nobody wants to hear from you any more corey…Jessica was that childs sister and I was his cousin..The proof is in the testimonies and the forensic science but judging by your wording,you wouldn’t know anything about that…oop’s he left 2 eye witnesses..Jessica,good job facing off with him sis..I know that took alot of courage but now our family can bring this to a closure..Were always gonna get ridiculous comments from ppl on here but thats because they don’t know what we know..Now it’s up to “GOD”!!!!You feel deep in your heart that he’s innocent?Thought you were his alibi,why don’t you know that in your brain?
HEY EVERYBODY BIG SIXX AKA JOHN BOOTH IS MY BROTHER & EVEN THO THERE WAS A GUILTY VERDICT I FEEL DEEP IN MY HEART MY BROTHER DID NOT COMMIT ANY CRIME ON AUGUST 21ST 2010 & THIS IS FUCKIN BULLSHIT THAT EVERYBODY WANTS HIM DEAD HES A PERSON ALSO & ALSO WHEN HE DOES GET TO THE JOINT HES NOT GON B THE BITCH ILL TELL U THAT SUMONE WILL B HIS BITCH!!!!!!!!
Oh My he actually thought in his puny pukey ass brain that he was innocent know how screwed up can you actually be He is gonna have a fun time where his pretty lips are going can you say you got a pretty mouth!! Ha what now bitch I have been waiting almost 1 in a half years for this soulless bastard to be found guilty I knew he was I hope all those dads in prison welcome him with open arms being a child killer is not something thats gonna go down right with alot of people.May god have mercy on his soul cause no one else will
he deserves to die!!!!!!!!!!!! that son of a bitch killed three people and one was a class mate of mine!!!!!!! he was a great kid i didnt talk to him as much as i should have but ill definally miss him.
lonewolf,good 4 u….always down 4 someone who wants 2 be drug free…My uncle wasn’t as fortunate as 2 get out soon enough and as a result he and my 16 yr old cousin paid the ultimate price…U say that u knew booth and his dad?What makes u say that ur not suprised?His family paints a different pic of him when he was younger..Is this painting authentic or an imposter?
Associated with him and his father over a brief period about 13 years ago.
From the outbreak of the news this did not surprise me nor have I ever doubted his guilt.
The association was drug related and didn’t last long. I have been clean and sober fo 11 years now and don’t miss it or it’s”world”
Glad I got out when I did and wish I had sooner.
If they had tried this case using Capital Punishment as an option (and if he had, indeed, gotten the Death Penalty), the taxpayers would still be on the hook for the next 15-20 years (or longer) while the case goes from court to court, with appeal after appeal being filed…. and the taxpayers would be on the hook for his lawyers fees as well….
Too bad Meyers didn’t opt for capital punishment on this one! Now the taxpayers get to pay for his lodging until he’s dead!