Guilty verdict in strangulation murder of Belltown woman
SEATTLE - A 42-year-old Seattle man has been convicted of brutally murdering a woman in her Belltown apartment in December 2010.
A King County Superior Court jury found Gary Wade, 42, guilty of second-degree murder for the killing of Michelle Thornton, who was found dead in the closet of her Belltown apartment on Jan. 6, 2011, after her family reported her missing.
The jury reached its verdict Wednesday after deliberating for a day and a half.
Evidence at the scene suggested there was a struggle and that Thornton had been sexually assaulted, investigators said. The medical examiner determined Thornton, 43, had been strangled to death.
Footage from building security cameras, fingerprints and DNA evidence led Seattle police detectives to Wade, who is a convicted felon. He was arrested on Feb. 26, 2011.
When questioned by detectives, Wade admitted he knew Thornton as he often sold her drugs. He initially said he'd last seen her before Christmas 2010; however, when investigators confronted him with evidence, he said "when he last saw Ms. Thornton, she was dead and that he had placed her in her closet," according to court documents.
Thornton was last seen alive on Dec. 29, 2010, when she last used her debit card. Records show she made a call on Dec. 30, but failed to report to work on the same day. Her family reported her missing on Jan. 4, 2011.
Prosecutors said Wade has a long criminal history in several states including Florida, Georgia and Utah. In Washington state, he was previously convicted of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant and possession of cocaine.
Wade will face a sentence range of 154 to 254 months in prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
“Michelle Thornton was murdered in her own apartment by a killer who tried very hard to cover his tracks,” said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. “Thanks to diligent police work by Seattle police detectives and skillful prosecution, we were able to identify her killer and hold him accountable."
A King County Superior Court jury found Gary Wade, 42, guilty of second-degree murder for the killing of Michelle Thornton, who was found dead in the closet of her Belltown apartment on Jan. 6, 2011, after her family reported her missing.
The jury reached its verdict Wednesday after deliberating for a day and a half.
Evidence at the scene suggested there was a struggle and that Thornton had been sexually assaulted, investigators said. The medical examiner determined Thornton, 43, had been strangled to death.
Footage from building security cameras, fingerprints and DNA evidence led Seattle police detectives to Wade, who is a convicted felon. He was arrested on Feb. 26, 2011.
When questioned by detectives, Wade admitted he knew Thornton as he often sold her drugs. He initially said he'd last seen her before Christmas 2010; however, when investigators confronted him with evidence, he said "when he last saw Ms. Thornton, she was dead and that he had placed her in her closet," according to court documents.
Thornton was last seen alive on Dec. 29, 2010, when she last used her debit card. Records show she made a call on Dec. 30, but failed to report to work on the same day. Her family reported her missing on Jan. 4, 2011.
Prosecutors said Wade has a long criminal history in several states including Florida, Georgia and Utah. In Washington state, he was previously convicted of making a false or misleading statement to a public servant and possession of cocaine.
Wade will face a sentence range of 154 to 254 months in prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
“Michelle Thornton was murdered in her own apartment by a killer who tried very hard to cover his tracks,” said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. “Thanks to diligent police work by Seattle police detectives and skillful prosecution, we were able to identify her killer and hold him accountable."
154 to 254 months in prison which is roughly 12 to 21 years. Maybe that's what it should say so we don't have to do the math. Regardless, again, not good enough.
12 to 21 years for rape and murder in the nanny state.
 @Windowseat You can always move. Â
 @Andrew Bush  @Windowseat It's not the victims fault and Innocent people should not have to move. Our laws in this state regarding the murder of another person need to be improved.
 @Andrew Bush @Windowseat I'm sorry, I fail to see what moving has to do with anything here.
Finally....I remember this pos going on about how she was a crack addict and turned on him. Anyone with any sense knew he was full of it. Glad her family got some closure.
Hopefully he will never be a free man again. I sure hope this can help bring some closure to her family.Â
 @The WA Mama He's 42 now and has just been found guilty of murder, with a life sentence, if he doesn't die in prison, he won't have much of a life when he finally gets out.
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 @Deejay Mcallister  @The WA Mama He's only 42 now. With a sentence of 12 to 20 years, he could get out as early as 10 to 12 years from now. That would only make him 52 to 54. He will then be free to harm or kill someone else.
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I'm a former crime victim and have seen the judicial system in this state at work. I just love it. The murder of a human being should be an immediate death sentence, and I mean immediate, not 15 or 20 years down the road.