72 weeks in juvie for murder. That’s it.
Three teens have pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in lastyear’s brutal killing of Ed McMichael, better known as the “Tuba Man,”King County officials said Friday.
The guilty pleas came duringa hearing Friday in King County Juvenile Court. But none of the teenswill face a sentence longer than 72 weeks in juvenile detention.
Twoof the three suspects also pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery foran earlier robbery not connected to the Tuba Man case, said Dan Donohoeof the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
McMichael, a belovedcharacter on the Seattle scene who played his tuba outside many publicevents, was walking home near a bus stop on Seattle’s Mercer Streetlast Oct. 25 when five teens attacked him. Police said the five kickedand beat him and tried to rob him.Three suspects were caught, but two others fled the scene and still have not been found.
Thethree who pleaded guilty were identified as Kenneth Kelly,(B) 15; Ja’MariJones (B), 16; and Billy Chambers (B), 16. All were 15 at the time of theattack.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said the namesof convicted juveniles are not released in most criminal cases. But thesuspects were identified in this case due to the high-profile nature ofthe crime, he said.
Jones and Chambers pleaded guilty to bothmanslaughter and robbery, and face a maximum sentence of up to 72weeks. The robbery charge is for the robbery of another victim earlierin the evening.
Kelly, who was the first to assault McMichael,pleaded guilty to manslaughter – but not the unconnected robbery – andfaces a sentence of up to 36 weeks.
The three are scheduled to be sentenced April 22.