West
3 men get life in prison for killing Washington family over drugs, money
Three men found guilty of killing a family in Washington state in 2017 over alleged drugs and money were sentenced to life in prison without without the possibility of parole.
Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull on Tuesday sentenced Danie Kelly Jr., 45, Robert Watson III, 52, and Watson’s brother Johnny Watson, 50, after the victims’ family members spoke in court, the Kitsap Sun reported.
Each man was sentenced to four life sentences, one for each count of first-degree murder. They were each sentenced to additional time for attempted murder convictions and firearm enhancements. A jury in April found them guilty.
WASHINGTON MOTHER ACCUSED OF KILLING, STABBING 4-YEAR-OLD SON 41 TIMES: REPORT
Christale Careaga, 37, Hunter Schaap and Johnathon Higgins, both 16, were found dead in their burned home west of Seattle on the Kitsap Peninsula on Jan. 27, 2017. The remains of John Careaga, 43, were found inside a scorched truck at a tree farm.
The Careagas owned a successful Mexican restaurant in Bremerton. In court documents, detectives said John Careaga also brought cocaine from California every couple months to sell locally.
Three Washington state men have been sentenced in the 2017 killings of a family.
A close friend of his began selling the cocaine to Robert Watson, whom detectives identified as a leader in a local chapter of the Bandidos motorcycle club, authorities said. Investigators have said the killings weren’t related to the club.
Careaga’s friend eventually stopped selling, and the next time Careaga went to California to get the drugs, Robert Watson traveled there “on John’s heels,” and dialogue between the two intensified until the day of the homicides, according to investigators.
John Careaga’s attorney told authorities that Careaga had hidden hundreds of thousands of dollars underneath his home, but that money was never found.
According to the court records, detectives said more than $300,000 had been deposited into Robert Watson’s accounts in 2017 and that there were “numerous cash deposits that the source could not be identified.”
Kelly was associated with the Bandidos as a “hang-around,” and had been a good friend of Careaga before a falling out, detectives said.
A neighbor of the Careagas heard gunshots at the house the day of the murders and reported seeing John Careaga’s truck speeding away, with Kelly at the wheel and another car following close behind.
Defense attorneys during the trial worked to cast doubt on the timeline and cellphone towers used to track the trio’s movements and argued that no evidence existed of anything being taken from the Careaga home.
Relatives of the victims in court described the pain that has been inflicted on the blended family since their deaths.
John Careaga was described as a loving father and uncle who would entertain the nine children who relied on him. Crystal Careaga was described as a personable and contagious “bright light;” Johnathon Higgins was a “big teddy bear;” and Hunter Schaap, was noted for his courage, particularly the night of the murders when he called 911 to report intruders at the family home.
Kelly and the Watson brothers declined the opportunity to speak in court.
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BUTTE, Mont. — The city of Belgrade has earned some serious bragging rights.
The city of Belgrade’s tap water won a blind taste test on Thursday morning at a joint conference of the Montana Section of the American Water Works Association (MSAWWA) and the Montana Water Environment Association (MWEA).
Belgrade now moves onto the national AWWA annual conference in Washington D.C. in June, where they will compete for the People’s Choice and Best of The Best Awards.
Montana tap water has scored well at the national conference in the past. In 2015, the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District won the Best of the Best award. In 2019, Bozeman won third place in the Best of the Best competition.
Water is judged based on taste, clarity, aftertaste, and odor.
“It is definitely a point of pride and a little bit competitive between communities around Montana. It’s pretty fun to see the operators that work so hard on their water sources and bringing that into their communities to be able to take that to even the state level and the national level, and take home a prize for that,” said Carrie Gardner, national director for the Montana section of the AWWA and a water/wastewater regional team manager for Great West Engineering. “So, it’s truly important to everyone here just to deliver clean, safe, water. But that’s also a fun aspect, to be able to have some bragging rights, too.”
Belgrade was one of only three cities that provided samples of their water to the conference this year, joining Missoula and Kalispell.
Thursday’s taste test was part of the final day of the conference, where operators, engineers, consultants, and regulators from across the state work together to protect Montana’s water resources.
This year’s conference theme was Resiliency and Risk.
“All of us are here because we care about the communities we live in in Montana and being able to have drought resistant systems,” said Gardner. “Water is a critical resource. So our focus is delivering clean water, public health, and safety. Making sure we have sources available, and, that we’re cleaning that water going back so we can have less environmental impacts and be able to reduce the issues that drought causes.”
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The non-profit, Communities of Schools in Western Nevada is hosting its second annual Concert with a Cause featuring Yachtley Crew.
The seven-piece SoCal sensation who’ve sparked a nationwide Yacht Rock craze since bursting onto the scene in 2017. They’ve earned a reputation for selling out venues, delivering unforgettable live performances, and bringing soft rock hits from the late ’70s and early ’80s to life.
They are performing at the Grand Sierra Resort on May 15th, 2026. For tickets, visit www.grandsierraresort.com/entertainment/concerts-and-shows/yachtley-crew
CIS of Western Nevada is also looking for sponsors for the event. To learn more go to www.cisnevada.org/locations/western/
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.
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