3 convicted of Tahuya-area murders given life sentences
PORT ORCHARD – The three men convicted in the 2017 murder of four members of a blended family near Lake Tahuya were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday morning.
Multiple family members of John Careaga, Crystal Careaga, Hunter Schaap and Johnathon Higgins spoke to the Kitsap Superior Court courtroom for more than an hour, where Danie Jay Kelly Jr., 45, Robert James Watson III, 52, and Johnny James Watson, 50, were seated, before the sentence was issued by Superior Court Judge Kevin Hull. Each man was sentenced to four life sentences, one for each count of firstdegree murder they were found guilty of by a jury on April 5. Additionally, each of the three were sentenced to an additional 46 years combined for charges of attempted murder and arson, and enhancements for firearm possession, commission of a crime during a burglary and multiple victims in the same crime.
“(These crimes) have had a ripple effect, not only for this family, but also for the community,” Prosecuting Attorney Kelly Montgomery said before individuals addressed the court, leading to the sentences being issued.
Hunter Schapp’s mother Carly Schaap placed an urn with her son’s remains alongside a photo of him on a table next to the lectern where eight family members then offered memories of the deceased, admonitions for the convicted men, encouragement to Hull to apply the most severe penalties possible, and thanks to the jury that found Kelly and the two Watson brothers guilty after a trial that lasted more than 5 months.
Carly Schapp and others described the pain that has been inflicted on the blended family, many of whom were in the courtroom, since the three killings
in January 2017 at a home near Tahuya Lake in rural Kitsap County and a fourth near a Mason County tree farm. Others spoke about the anguish of waiting nearly five years until the three suspects were arrested in June 22 and charged with murder and arson for burning the Tahuya Lake home. She shared, and others echoed, the feelings of anxiety, depression, sadness, fear and toxicity that spread through the family in the years since the murders, including the loss of another young family member, Joseph Careaga, in a 2018 crash near
Hansville.
“Johnny Watson, Robert Watson and Dani Kelly,” Carly Schapp said, directly addressing the three, shackled in green Kitsap County Jail jumpsuits and seated across the courtroom. “You've stolen not just from our family and friends, but from the goodness that surrounds us all.”
Grandparents, children, cousins and parents of the deceased took time to address the judge, often emotionally. John Careaga was described by family members as a loving father and uncle who would entertain the nine children who relied on him as well as cousins, nephews and nieces, whether by creating adventures, hosting Harry Potter night or wiping noses. Crystal Careaga was described as a personable and contagious “bright light” since she was a child; Johnathon Higgins was a “big teddy bear” who shared a close and deep relationship with his mother; and Hunter Schaap, a busy teenager who played sports, liked to cook and spend time with close friends, was noted for his courage, particularly the night he was wounded yet able to call 911 and alert law enforcement to the intruders at the family home.
“I wonder how much that courage would have helped others in this community, or even this world,” one family member shared. “Now we'll never know.”
Kelly and the Watson brothers, who have been held at Kitsap County Jail, declined the opportunity to speak during Tuesday's proceedings.
Before closing Hull told the court he struggled to write his own statement for the hearing, after hearing months of testimony and evidence in the case, which began last November. He instead reflected on the emotional testimony from family members that was shared, before issuing the sentences, which were all the maximum penalties allowed under state guidelines.
“The damage here is just too much, the impact is too much,” Hull said just before noon. “... I don't know how you can recover from these circumstances, but these families are doing their best. It's a nightmare, but it's reality.”