Emma Brown attends a change of plea hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Feb. 25, 2019.
Emma Brown, accused of lying to investigators about what she knew of her then-fiance’s involvement in the death of Ben Eastman, III, last summer in rural East Lewis County, is the first charged in connection with the case to be sentenced.
Brown previously pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance — felony charges. In accordance with a plea deal with the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, Brown withdrew that plea on Sept. 5 and pleaded guilty to lesser charges of third-degree rendering criminal assistance and making a false statement — a misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor, respectively.
She was sentenced to 90 days in jail with credit for one day served and with 89 days suspended for 24 months, provided she abide by requirements for law-abiding behavior.
Altogether, seven people have been charged in Lewis County Superior Court in connection to the June 2018 homicide of Ben Eastman, III, 16. Eastman went missing on June 23 and was found a few days later in a shallow grave in East Lewis County.
Brothers Benito Marquez, 17, and Jonathon Adamson, 22, were both accused of luring Eastman into the woods on the pretext of camping, then beating him to death.
Marquez pleaded guilty in February to charges including first-degree murder, first-degree rape, tampering with physical evidence and unlawful disposal of remains, and will be allowed to withdraw that plea and plead guilty to a single count of first-degree murder provided he meets terms set out in a plea agreement, including providing testimony against other people involved.
Adamson pleaded guilty in July to first-degree murder, first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping in Eastman’s death, and pleaded guilty to an additional two counts of witness tampering dating to Feb. 2019.
Neither has been sentenced. Adamson has a hearing scheduled for Oct. 3 to set a sentencing date.
A third person charged with murder in the case, Michael Salazar, 17, of Kennewick, has entered a not-guilty plea. His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17. He was accused of physically preventing a person who knew of the brothers’ plan to kill Eastman from reporting it to a third party.
Kindra Adamson, the mother of the brothers, has also pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance. No sentencing date has been scheduled.
Amanda Hagerty, 42, Salazar’s mother, accused of rendering criminal assistance, has pleaded not guilty and currently has a trial set for Dec. 9.
Jerald Thompson, 24, of Mabton, brother to Marquez and Jonathon Adamson, has been charged with witness tampering. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 11.
