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Double murder suspect pleads not guilty
The mother of a slain woman inside a hotel room in Kent flew to Seattle to see her daughter's accused killer be formally charged in King County.
KENT, Wash. - The mother of a slain woman inside a hotel room in Kent flew to Seattle to see her daughter's accused killer be formally charged in King County.
For months now, Michelle McKnight has been looking for answers. Her daughter, Sharmayne Jackson, was only 32-years-old when she was killed the night of Jan. 31. She leaves behind two little girls.
Sharmayne was a mother of two. She leaves behind 7 and 9-year-old girls.
Kent Police detectives say video evidence shows Scottina Johnson, 37, and her boyfriend Corey Bills, 31, are the two people allegedly seen walking into a room at the Kent Valley Motel off Central Avenue North – shooting and killing Jackson and 43-year-old Sean Peoples, also a father.
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Court documents now paint a clear picture of what allegedly happened that night. They say Johnson and Bills walked into the room and almost immediately, screaming and fighting were heard, prompting people to call 911. Moments later, shots are heard.
Documents say there was a total of seven shots in 43 seconds; the last fired at the same time the door to the room opens again.
Scottina and Bills leave and are picked up by other surveillance cameras nearby, calmly walking away. Jackson and Peoples died from multiple gunshot wounds, some aimed at their faces.
"This was my daughter. Nobody deserves to lose their life like that," McKnight said. "My daughter or her friend who was there in the room; both families have been devastated by this."
She flew all the way from Alaska to see Johnson in court.
"My daughter left behind two daughters now-- they took that away from her," McKnight said. "I’m representing her as well as our entire family in Alaska. They wanted to understand why somebody would kill their mommy, and I’m here to find out and make sure justice is served."
In court, the mourning mother approached Judge Johanna Bender, fighting for FOX 13 cameras to show Johnson's face.
"They were bold enough to commit the crime and I think they’re bold enough to be seen," McKnight said.
However, the judge declined. Johnson was formally charged with two counts of murder and plead not guilty.
"I’m praying that she has a soul and a conscience and will do the right thing in this case," McKnight said.
According to prosecutors Johnson has a significant criminal history outside Washington. She and Bills recently moved from California – where he is currently serving time for failure to register as a sex offender and is awaiting extradition.
Bills was wanted for failing to register as a sex offender at the time he allegedly shot Jackson and Peoples.
Bail for Johnson is set at $5 million. If convicted, Johnson faces a minimum of 50 years in prison.