Attorney: Death penalty push in Carnation murders costing taxpayers
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SEATTLE -- The costs of Michele Anderson's and Joseph McEnroe's murder cases continue to climb for taxpayers, and one defense attorney blames the prosecutor.
The pair, who are accused of murdering six members of Anderson's family on Christmas Eve 2007, returned to court on Thursday for a hearing on the upcoming jury selection process.
Anderson and McEnroe, her former boyfriend, allegedly killed her parents, Wayne and Judy Anderson; her brother, Scott; his wife, Erica; and their children, 5-year-old Olivia and 3-year-old Nathan.
Anderson pleaded not guilty to the charges, but she told KOMO News she and McEnroe killed her family.
Victim Erica Anderson's mother Pam Mantle has avoided holidays at home since the brutal murder five years ago.
"All the things grandparents get to do -- we don't, because Michele and Joe killed our family," she said.
On Thursday, Mantle faced the two accused killers in court for yet another hearing.
Preparation costs for the upcoming trials of Anderson and McEnroe total nearly $5 million. Defense attorneys have spent more than $2 million on each accused murderer's case, and the King County prosecutor's prepping price tag is $700,000 so far.
"The taxpayers are picking up the tab," said Katie Ross, an attorney representing McEnroe.
McEnroe's attorney says her team has tried at least 10 times since 2008 to end the spending by taking the death penalty off the table for her client.
"He's offered to plead guilty, waive all of his defenses and appeals and accept a life without possibility of release sentence," Ross said.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg isn't budging on the death penalty, however. His office told KOMO News this is about six murdered victims; the office does not make determinations on just outcomes based on a price tag.
Ross claims there's more at stake than just money.
"Our job is to save our client's life, but by doing what we propose, it would also save the survivor's family grief," said Ross.
Mantle isn't a big proponent of the death penalty, but supports the prosecuting attorney.
"These people killed two little kids -- a kindergartner and a 3-year-old in diapers, really," she said.
On Friday, 3,000 jury summons will be mailed out. The two sides are hoping for a pool of 500 jurors.
The pair, who are accused of murdering six members of Anderson's family on Christmas Eve 2007, returned to court on Thursday for a hearing on the upcoming jury selection process.
Anderson and McEnroe, her former boyfriend, allegedly killed her parents, Wayne and Judy Anderson; her brother, Scott; his wife, Erica; and their children, 5-year-old Olivia and 3-year-old Nathan.
Anderson pleaded not guilty to the charges, but she told KOMO News she and McEnroe killed her family.
Victim Erica Anderson's mother Pam Mantle has avoided holidays at home since the brutal murder five years ago.
"All the things grandparents get to do -- we don't, because Michele and Joe killed our family," she said.
On Thursday, Mantle faced the two accused killers in court for yet another hearing.
Preparation costs for the upcoming trials of Anderson and McEnroe total nearly $5 million. Defense attorneys have spent more than $2 million on each accused murderer's case, and the King County prosecutor's prepping price tag is $700,000 so far.
"The taxpayers are picking up the tab," said Katie Ross, an attorney representing McEnroe.
McEnroe's attorney says her team has tried at least 10 times since 2008 to end the spending by taking the death penalty off the table for her client.
"He's offered to plead guilty, waive all of his defenses and appeals and accept a life without possibility of release sentence," Ross said.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg isn't budging on the death penalty, however. His office told KOMO News this is about six murdered victims; the office does not make determinations on just outcomes based on a price tag.
Ross claims there's more at stake than just money.
"Our job is to save our client's life, but by doing what we propose, it would also save the survivor's family grief," said Ross.
Mantle isn't a big proponent of the death penalty, but supports the prosecuting attorney.
"These people killed two little kids -- a kindergartner and a 3-year-old in diapers, really," she said.
On Friday, 3,000 jury summons will be mailed out. The two sides are hoping for a pool of 500 jurors.
A bullet to the back of their heads is a cheaper alternative that should be considered.Â
Waiting for all the legal rangling will cost untold $ There is only one correct direction for this case and that IS death for both. End of story.
Five years later! This is an utter waste of time and money. Why, when we all know they did it, are they being given this chance? Were those poor babies given a chance? I didn't personally know any of the parties involved except Judy was our mail carrier when we lived in Carnation. Such a kind person and always a smile on her face. My husband went to school with Scott. It was devastating when we first saw it on the news and the days and months to follow. I shed many tears for the innocent babies, their parents and grandparents and also the family they left behind. The evidence is there what takes 5 years to take this to trial. Millions of dollars later, money that could be better spent on something worthwhile. These two pieces of scum are not worth the money that is being spent on their cases. This should be an open and shut case. Do your jobs and get it done!! An eye for an eye...a life for a life...Justice will be served the day they put these two in the ground. Hopefully that will be sooner than later!
The defendants are Lame Lame Lame. Take responsibility and go to hell. If you can dish it, you can take it.  Guess their lame lives are more important than the innocent ones.Â
"Our job is to save our client's lives?" What about the lives of our six family members that were murdered? Unbelievable!!
As I said; their job is to see that their client gets a fair trial. That means, they got to speak out in their defense, they got to explain their side, they got to plea their case. And the defense lawyer saw to it that everything was done legally, and the sentence was within keeping of the standard range sentencing, and if that was "Death", then the lawyer did his, (or her), job. Their 'JOB' is not to get them off of all charges. Their 'JOB' is not to twist the law to fit their interpretation, and when the defense KNOWS the client is guilty, their 'JOB' becomes even more important to see that justice is truly carried out. That means, the defense does the best they can for someone who is guilty, to see that the precedings are done without prejudice, but fair.
I would be happy to continue to pay to get these two the death penalty. Small price to pay for the justice it will service to the family she killed, especially the innocent little kids. If I had the funding, I would be happy to hand over all the cash myself.Â
Considering the cost of an individual case if it should be a death penalty case, is inexcuseable. Considering the cost of EVEN HAVING the death penalty as an option in our state is one that is admirable at best and worthwhile at the very least.
This is a lame attempt by the defense to get the death penalty off the table by trying to sway public opinion. The prosecution has spent only $700,000, yet the Defense has spent $5 million? Something is clearly wrong there. I'm no lawyer but I have been involved in numerous court cases as an investigator and police officer. To me it sounds like someone is artificially running up the total.Â
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The death penalty needs to be on the table. It is because of plea bargains that we continue to get these horrific crimes. Do the crime, you do the time. As a law abiding citizen I shouldn't have to pay for your dumb criminal a$$. Whether that is through tax dollars or through new laws.Â
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She is one fugly looking waste of humanity. Needs to go rot - in fact that might be an improvement for her.Â
Typical King County, just have the taxpayers pay it all!
The cost these lawyers are running up isn't even reasonable. This is just strictly taking advantage of the system. Maybe there should be limits put in place on just how much these lawyers can charge for their services. The office doesn't "make determinations based on the cost" I think that's an understatement.
They should have just killed themselves. Waste of human existance.Â
4 hollow points cost about $5
it's just part of the game-makes me sick.
He is so tough he had no trouble killing little kids. Now he is scared to die huh? He should be killed the same way he killed those kids.
The State further victimizes the family by allowing all this gamesmanship by the defese. Justice delayed is justice denied.
typical, same old tired scenario.  Defense attorneys drum up the costs of death penalty cases with endless gamesmanship.... then use the costs as an argument as to why we should abolish the death penalty.
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Killing children on Christmas Eve. How evil can it get? You're right, Dan. Go for it! That's why we pay taxes.
What is there to talk about??????? For gods sakes they killed a bunch of innocent people including children. FRY THEM
Can anyone of reason explain why it has taken this long (5 years) and still no start of this trial.. Boys and Girls, when the state gets broke enough, then the executions will start. When the state no longer will foot the bill for the "Defense" then there will be justice and only then. This is where it will end.
"Our job is to save our client's life, but by doing what we propose, it would also save the survivor's family grief," said Ross.-- No No your Job is to provide a Fair and impartial trail not to Fleece the state so you can make your money and own agenda.--- Not that they will need any other clients but what the Firms name lets protest them and give them so notoriety.
Need to really put a cap on those defense attorney's paid by the state money expenses. 5 million to 700,000...difference. Sound like the defense is running up the coast to keep the state from keeping the death pen. on the table. Until we get some judges that are not attorneys we'll never have Justice and we'll never keep the costs down.
Those should be the poster boy and girl for NOT doing Meth, that would scare a few people into not trying it!
holy crap talk about justice, what is wrong with the system?
Just give those zit faced, ugly, evil POS's life in prison -- not in isolation though. They murdered children -- let karma play out inside the prison......
Sadly, they would most likely end up getting protective custody and protected against other inmates. I'm all for paying to see them be killed.
They look like extras from Justified.
 If you cant execute the green river killer why waste the time on these two idiots.
 @2times green river was offered a plea in exchange for the location of his victims. that's they only way the families could have closer. very different.Â
 @2times closure. it's almost time to go home.
Why are they not dead already? What a waste of time and money.Â
"He's offered to plead guilty, waive all of his defenses and appeals and accept a life without possibility of release sentence," Ross said. So, he's afraid to die huh? Suck it up buttercup and take it like a man. I'm pretty sure those children you murdered weren't too fond of death either, but they didn't get much of a cchoice now did they? Scumbag cowards like this need to be executed in the most painful way imaginable.
@Wolfen -- "Scumbag cowards like this need to be executed in the most painful way imaginable." Nah, we are better than that. Just straight up hang'em.
Typical for our justice system: spending 5 years just to get to a jury selection, spending MILLIONS of our tax dollars in (public) defense for these two. Having been through this cycle involving a murder of a friend, it is amazing how broken our system really is and who gets rich off these trials. Shame on them! Crap, for what they did, just throw them in general population and let the beasts within finish the job.
Funny how when it comes to the death penalty the lefties suddenly turn into fiscal hawks. However, the have a conniption fit if you try to make public employees contribute a little more to their own health care and retirement funds. Oh well, we keep reelecting them so I guess I shouldn't complain.
@70MonteCarlo Try not to be so naive in the forums. Support for the death-penalty has fluctuated over the years; and while conservatives tend to support it more than liberals, the margins are not significantly wide. Generally 80% of replublicans support it, 65% of independents support it, followed by 58% of democrats.
This simply has nothing to do with politics. Its about the prosecutor going after the death penalty, while the attorneys for the defendents are trying to spare their lives. I have worked for two law firms, and am very familiar with due process. You do not have to be a legal expert to know what that is, and that attorneys will do whatever they can to win cases; even if it costs an excessive amount. Blaming the costs of this on liberals and democrats is like saying that is standard rhetoric from a conservative.
If you want to turn this into another political circus, thats your choice.
@northwestsurfer It's you lawyers, particularly the liberal ones, that have distorted our justice system into the grotesque (and ineffectual) process that it is today. So yeah, I am going to go ahead and lay blame squarely where it belongs - on liberal Democrat politicians and their trial lawyer masters.
This happened in 2007... Why are they just now doing jury salection?? This is one reason trials cost so much. Time to fast track some of this scum to the rope!!!
 @bustedupredneck Are you willing to pay for more courtrooms, judges and legal staff? If no, then you have no solution.
wait until Costco starts selling justice. Murder cases $299.99Â
Sorry, but Norm Maleng killed every chance of a speedy and necessary death penalty trial by giving Gary Ridgeway life in prison! That is what's so wrong w/ how this state operates; giving accommodation and privilege to those who have violated our laws serves only to punish the law abiding and the taxpayers! Between our sanctuary state status and our soft crime stats, we're screwed! IMO, stop playing around, get these people to trial and get it done! They don't deserve anything but death and they deserve it NOW !!!!
Why does it cost sooo much money?...I don't get it. These guys did it. How hard can it be? If any one deserves to hang, these people do!!!
The death penalty always costs more than life in prison...
 @AndySue28 Not always, but often.
Costing taxpayers.... the fleecing of the public. Give'm to me! I'll give you justice on the cheap! 5 million dollars = 1 mil a year? < maddening!
I am all for expediency and fairness, but this is nothing but foot dragging to allow the legal end to make more money off the people! A 2 cent bullet would save this state a heckuva lot of time and trouble, but there is little backbone to git er done!
Pathetic, evil tweekers ! !
I'll donate some Draino to pump into their worthless veins AND I'll push the plunger ! !
Isn't inbreeding a such a wonderful practice?
How low can an attorney go to try to stir up public opinion by tying this to the money involved in putting these two out of their own misery?
Not a fan of the death penalty, but if there was ever a case for it - this is it. There is no doubt they did it and it involved little babies who never had a chance to fight back. There is no reason for either one of them to be on this earth and they should not even fight the death penalty. Those children couldn't.
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I don't live in King County, but if I did, the cost would not even be a consideration.