Judge throws book at father-son duo that beat skier
STEVENSON, Wash. - A judge in the small town of Stevenson, Wash., showed no mercy to the men convicted of beating a skier nearly to death in 2009 and leaving him in the woods to die.
The pair then took the man's vehicle and drove from the area.
On Wednesday, Michael and Teven Collins were sentenced after being found guilty on attempted murder and robbery charges.
Michael Collins, 33, the father of Teven Collins, received the brunt of the Judge Thompson Reynolds’ wrath when he received a sentence of 24 years and 3 months, the most he said the law allowed.
"If any case deserves the maximum, this case is it," Reynolds told the court.
Teven Collins, 17, received a term of 8 years as a result of plea deal which included him testifying against his father in the case, which shocked the region for its brutality and also because the attackers were father and son.
The victim in the case, Kevin Tracy, did address the courts, saying “I’m here to ask the court to impose the longest sentence possible, The first reason I believe this is the inevitable conclusion of every choice this person made in the last 15 years."
“I saw with my own eyes what this person is capable of,” Tracy continued, “it will happen again if this person is ever released.”
Tracy suffered head wounds in the attack described by a female hiker who found him near death as “cuts that went down to the bone.”
Following treatment, Tracy displayed long, tangled scars in his forehead. He said the men wrapped a rope around his neck and dragged him into the woods to die after beating him severely, then debated killing him on the spot.
The two were caught in Mexico after being featured on "America's Most Wanted." 
The story began a year ago when Tracey, 52, decided to go cross-country skiing near Dougan Falls, along the Washougal River.
Tracey told police he was suiting up when two strangers walked up to him and asked for directions. He said he remembered thinking it was an odd question.
"And I thought, 'Well, there's only one road to get up here and one road to get back. Why would you need directions?' "
He said the pair then demanded the keys to his SUV and turned violent, even though he told the two they could drive one way while he and his dogs went the other.
Instead, Tracey said they began beating him over the head repeatedly, knocking him unconscious, and then dragged him into the woods and left him for dead.
Tracey said he remembers waking up face down in the snow and not knowing where he was. He could not get up but found the strength to crawl back close to the trail, where he was discovered by some hikers.
One of the hikers who found Tracey testified in the trial and described a bloody scene upon finding Tracy.
Tracy had parting words for his attackers on Thursday. Staring at the pair as they awaited their fate, he asked them “do you know who your biggest victims are? It’s your family… Whatever you say won’t mean a lot to me, but I hope it gives them some comfort.”
Tracey ended up with severe injuries to his head and spent several days in the hospital. He has since recovered but does not have medical insurance and has struggled with the bills.