Man Convicted Of 4 Bellevue Murders Resentenced Under New Laws

SEATTLE, WA —David Anderson, who was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal 1997 murders of four members of a Bellevue family, has been resentenced by a King County Superior Court judge and now could be eligible for release in another eight years, according to the Seattle Times.

The resentencing —for a minimum of 33 years — took place Friday and was required after U.S. Supreme Court and State Supreme Court rulings prohibiting life sentences for juveniles. Anderson was 17 at the time of the murders and charged as a juvenile in January 2000.

Anderson was sentenced to life in prison without release for the murders of William and Rose Wilson and their daughters Kimberly and Julia. Kimberly Wilson, Anderson’s classmate, was killed at a park and her parents and sister were stabbed and bludgeoned in their home.

Anderson’s friend and accomplice Alex Baranyi, who also was 17 at the time of the murders, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in January 1999. He has not been resentenced.

For many years, Anderson maintained his innocence, but in 2016 he acknowledged his guilt, according to the Seattle Times.

By that time, the laws regarding the sentencing of juveniles had begun to change.

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miller decision prohibited life sentences for juveniles. A 2o21 decision by the State of Washington Supreme Court also bars de facto life sentences and requires that juveniles have the chance for a “meaningful life” outside of prison.

With those decisions, Anderson’s resentencing was mandated. Due to the state ruling, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was legally constrained to request less than 46 years during the resentencing. The office asked for 45 years.

Anderson’s defense attorneys, meanwhile, requested 25 years, according to the Seattle Times.

On Friday, King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott resentenced Anderson to serve a minimum of 33 years behind bars.

The state’s Intermediate Sentencing Review Board now will determine Anderson’s release date based on his risk to the community. Anderson is not eligible for Earned Release Time with the Department of Corrections, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

According to the Seattle Times, the Sentencing Review Board also can impose up to three years of community supervision, the state’s version of parole.

In a statement, prosecuting attorney Dan Satterberg said Anderson should be spending the rest of his life behind bars.

“When you see the gruesome details of this case — the calculated, senseless slaughter of family members just for the thrill of it — you can never get those horrific images out of your mind,” Satterberg said.

Satterberg continued: “When we prosecuted in this case, the court was well aware that David Anderson was 17 at the time, and that he purposefully killed the entire family before his 18th birthday to avoid more serious punishment. I understand that the law has changed, but the life sentence that had been originally imposed was the right sentence, in my opinion.”

Source: Bellevue Patch