Teen accused of murdering sleeping friend pleads guilty
SEATTLE -- A teenager accused of strangling and stabbing his friend as she slept on a couch pleaded guilty Tuesday to second degree murder.
Kolby Clark was just 17-years old last March when prosecutors say he murdered 17-year-old Jasmyn Tully inside a Tukwila apartment.
After the March 17 killing, police say they found Clark wandering the nearby streets with a gash on his arm. He originally told police he and Tully had been attacked by another man. But investigators say Clark later admitted he "felt an urge to hurt someone," then stabbed Tully, whom he had known for a few years.
In the days after the murder, Clark's family members said he told them from his jail cell that he was high at the time of the attack, but prosecutors said there is no evidence to suggest that Clark was under the influence of drugs at the time of the murder.
Now 18-years old, Clark was charged as an adult in the case. The sentence range, which includes a deadly weapon enhancement, is 12 to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors will recommend 16 years in prison when Clark is sentenced on April 12.
Kolby Clark was just 17-years old last March when prosecutors say he murdered 17-year-old Jasmyn Tully inside a Tukwila apartment.
After the March 17 killing, police say they found Clark wandering the nearby streets with a gash on his arm. He originally told police he and Tully had been attacked by another man. But investigators say Clark later admitted he "felt an urge to hurt someone," then stabbed Tully, whom he had known for a few years.
In the days after the murder, Clark's family members said he told them from his jail cell that he was high at the time of the attack, but prosecutors said there is no evidence to suggest that Clark was under the influence of drugs at the time of the murder.
Now 18-years old, Clark was charged as an adult in the case. The sentence range, which includes a deadly weapon enhancement, is 12 to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors will recommend 16 years in prison when Clark is sentenced on April 12.
Oh good, he'll be out before he turns 30, it's good to know you can kill someone and get such a light sentence.He'll put the killings on hold until he's released from the big house with a Doctorate in depraved cruelty and murder.
how can he only get 16 yrs ?!!!!!!!!!!! he killed his friend in cold blood !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How about they take care of him out back with a .45 to the head, and send his family the bill?
I think overpopulation is what is causing the lack of impulse control in our current era.
@yourbuddy You're an idiot.
@Heisenberg A simple "I disagree" would have sufficed.Â
Cheaper fix would be to put a bullet in this freaks pan... honestly everyone.. start making lists of these people's names... you will hear about at least 50% again in the future! ... Then we can turn and use that on our leaders to grow a pair and realize they need to start axing these people because most only live to hurt, rape, and kill again... and whoever keeps saying 'oh it was because they were abused as a child...blah blah blah... no one takes responsibility for ANYTHING anymore... what a joke!
@Freespeech 50% seems a little low...I'm sure the repeat rate is much higher.
Prosecutors are weak. I recommend a large caliber bullet in the brain...
@XLRGÂ Rope is cheaper and can be reused.
So, in 16 yrs he'll be out, and by then we probably won't have the right to protect ourselves from him with a firearm. I mean seriously, where is this country going?
@Heisenberg Not arguing for/against gun control, but I will point out that it wouldn't have mattered whether the victim had a firearm or not in this case.
This person needs to spend the rest of his life in prison. Â Period.Â
When Gary Ridgway was 16, he randomly stabbed a 6 year old boy. Â Though never proven, it is thought that Ted Bundy killed 8 year old Anne Marie Burr when he was 16 years old. Â Kolby Clark could just be getting warmed up. Â I'm thankful he was caught so early after he "felt an urge to hurt someone", and very sad that someone had to die before his issues were realized by law enforcement. Â This kid needs to be kept away from the public for life.
@Tiamonet Yep, your correct on both counts. Many start with extreme cruelty to animals. In fact, Dahmer started by torturing and killing small animals... then dissecting them and bleaching their bones. These freaks kill till we catch them, then they get a free ride on the taxpayer dime.Â
Well maybe they can put him in general population. After all he is pretty young, or is that young and pretty.
System flaw yet again. Sad to see such a young life going to prison, but he made his bed. Time to lay in it.
@armywife Damn straight, I don't want this psycho near me in public. Sad story all around.
16 years is all they recommend for killing his friend?   What is wrong with that picture?  Keep this little jerk in prison forever.   Afterall his victim doesnt get a 2nd chance.
If you willfully take the life of another human being, you should have to pay with your own. One life should equal another. I don't care if he pays by spending his entire life behind bars or if he pays by forfeiting his life, but either way he took a life simply for the fun of it and should have to trade his own in return. One person's life is not worth a few years of another person's life.
Not to mention that a person who kills simply for the enjoyment of it is not ever safe to be free anyway.
@Willow I totally agree. This guy shouldn't get to see the light of day ever again. He willfully killed this girl and he should be punished severely. A few years in prison is a joke.
This is yet another injustice for the victim-the proposed sentence is nothing really. He should be executed, do it now while you have him in custody.
16 years for the murder of a young woman? Take this creep out to a tall tree and hang him. You know, this system we have created that wants to deny me the right to keep and bear a rifle for my own defense yet this same system wants this little vermon to spend about one fifth of an average lifetime behind bars for completely ending the life of a young woman denying her of 60 years at least, and all the pleasures of life. This system is seriously flawed.
sick F
Just put this dumb-evil maggot down. If you're not going to kill it, then, at least, lock it away for good.
WHY aren't our "elected officials" getting tougher laws passed ? ! ? !
"Hug a Thug" theory?
I prefer "Plug a Thug".
He'll be out in eight years and we will be reading about him again..
Likely this kid is mentally ill but that doesn't excuse his actions. He's only 18 and will be free by 30 and a burden to everyone. Since he wanted to hurt someone to death, let's repay the favor and take him out back and put two in his head, thereby unburdening us of one more loser for years to come.
Pretty crazy by the time he is released he would have spent half his life in jail and come out more dangerous than ever. Also doesnât help that all they do in jail is breed violence and workout.
@Nathan Boi and then he'll have kids... God help them.
Brutal reality! There is another "Kolby" right now on the streets of Seattle. Roaming around staying at Roots Shelter in the U District, hanging out in a coffee shop 12 hours a day. Will not accept any help offered to him, instead telling people he doesn't want to be told what to do. Charges pending (three court dates set) two in Mt. Vernon, one in Everett, this person is a loose canon.
It is a very disturbing story, but it happens all the time and will continue to happen. I imagine that the family of this young man tried to help as much as they could before he turned 18. I know this family did, but mental health laws prevent parents from forcing mental health treatment once a child turns 13. So now the streets can deal with it.
This is what gets me started. A teen murders his friend because he wanted to hurt someone. Obviously there is more to this guy than a murder. His childhood or lack thereof, sexual abuse, drugs, etc., etc. The point is people don't kill people just because...
So, for those of you who are so against abortion, I offer this case as an example of how your hypocrisy tells the story of babies being born and then you no longer care about their lives. So, if you don't believe in abortion, step up and help care for millions of children until they can become productive members of society.Â
Your shortsighted view of life seems to stop at birth, and then when that kids grows up to become a murderer, you will be first in line to say "capital punishment" and you will volunteer to push the button.  Think about it for a moment!
In some cases absolutely. And, Alabama will be seeing a lot of that. As far as this kid, who knows. I'm sorry he's ever going to be let out though and if his mother had wanted one - it would have been legal in this state. Now a days the school would send the girl to the abortion on her lunch hour and not bother telling her parents - as has happened here.
Are you implying that this guys mother was going to have an abortion but that someone stopped her? If so, please sight your source of such insight into the matter. Otherwise you're grasping straws to try and fit your agenda.
Think about it for a moment!
 Arne't you glad that your mother choose not to abort?
Hey Social, I have to disagree with you. You could take out Kolby's name and insert the name of the kid I know and it would not surprise me a bit. The youth I know had a veryr good childhood, very, very intelligent, always in school and just charmed teachers. No drugs or sexual abuse or any other type of abuse. Had clothes when needed, never wanted, parents own a home, not on public assistance, worked, all the normal stuff. Yet, the story could be about another kid.
So your theory is blown out of the water. Mental health and the illnesses of the mind run deep, and are evident that normal looking and sounding on the outside, totally unraveled on the inside. Only family can tell the horrible story.
Ummm...16 years? How's about life with no parole? A sick puppy like this does not need to be out on parole in 8 years....
He had an urge? Man, I'm really hoping someone in prision gets the same urge to do the same to him. Creep!
That is just down right scary. Another mentally ill teen. Schizophrenia usually manifests in the early teens to early twenties. Often with voices telling people to kill or hurt. A close friend of my son's just had his older brother arrested at the Canadian border a few months ago for making threats. He also said he needed to kill his father. He had been a bit "odd" before, but nothing too major. This was a complete and sudden shift. Diagnosed with Schizophrenia, inpatient MH stay and he's now back home.
At least he finally admitted he was guilty. It took him a bit to man up but at least he did. I hate the little jack wads that stand there and lie their butts off adding insult to injury.
@cm257n7 I still wouldn't consider that "manning up." He was a coward who killed a sleeping girl. I would bet his lawyer convinced him that if he didn't plead guilty, the sentence would have been harsher.
@tats76Â @cm257n7 Ya I wondered about that too. I would hate to think that was the case. And btw, when I was say "manning up" I'm not giving him any brownie points or anything. He's still a pos just now a pos not continuing to insult everyone's intelligence.
@cm257n7 Yeah, I think it's just a relief that he's not trying to say he's innocent of the crime.
"Vhoose your friends wisely, lest you be made..." DEAD!
16 years seems a bit short for what amounts to a thrill kill.
@JLS1950 I doubt that girl could have predicted this.
@the tide @JLS1950 Did I say anything about "predict"? No... I said choose your friends wisely. This particular clown had at least one bolt really loose... that should have had and likely did have some external indicators. Anyway, the point is not to eliminate the bad apples for cause: the point is to actively pursue the good ones based on evidence.
Foul and disgusting
I just feel so bad for the family and friends of Jasmyn. It is hard to lose someone like that.
Evil, just evil.
This useless POS should not even be breathing anymore. PERIOD.
Twelve to 20 years in prison for a brutal murder? Â Is that all 17-year-old Jasmyn Tully's life was worth? Â I get angry every time I Â read a story like this. Â Even the concept of "degrees" of murder makes little sense to me, especially when it means this murdered will be free to among us when he is just 34 years old. Â
@Opus8no5 The average murderer in WA state gets out in 6. I expect he will be out in 6. Just long enoughfor the public to forget about him, then the governor will release him early to save money which is what happens to most of them.