WA man sentenced to 24 years for murdering Ravensdale dad
Man sentenced to 24 years in prison for Ravensdale murder
A judge sentenced Andrew Baim to more than 20 years in prison for killing Ravensdale resident Nick Valison by running him over in 2023.
RAVENSDALE, Wash. - The man convicted of killing a Ravensdale dad by running him over in 2023 was sentenced Thursday in court to more than 20 years in prison.
Andrew Baim was found guilty of second-degree murder. Investigators say Nick Valison confronted Baim after he noticed him going through items in a stolen U-Haul in a wooded area of his neighborhood.
Andrew Baim in court
FOX 13 spoke with his wife Tanie two years ago. At that time, she said she wanted justice for Nick, and Thursday she got it, with the judge giving Baim the longest sentence available under the law.
"His final act was to protect his family, our neighbors and the community of Ravensdale," said Tanie Valison, Nick’s widow.
Tanie shared some of the best qualities of her late husband Nick in court.
"My husband was an honorable man. He proved that every single day of our marriage. I admired him and loved him deeply. I still do, and I will continue to honor him for the rest of my life," said Tanie.
Nick Valison
When it came to Andrew Baim, the man convicted of running him over and killing him, she didn't hold back.
"I don’t expect him to ever take accountability for what he has done, because to this day he has not," said Tanie Valison.
Investigators say Nick was walking his dog when he confronted Baim and two others after catching them going through a stolen U-Haul on a wooded trail.
Nick reportedly told the three suspects that he had already called police, and witnesses told investigators that he was standing in front of a stolen pickup truck when Baim drove over him to escape.
Flowers were placed in the area where Nick was killed in 2023.
Law enforcement said Baim later burned the pickup in a rural area. Prosecutors said in 12 hours, Baim committed four different felonies.
"He escalated from stealing vehicles to murder, and then once he killed Mr Valison, he attempted to conceal his involvement by committing the arson and burning the truck that he killed Mr. Valison in," said the prosecutor.
Baim spoke before the court, apologizing before he was sentenced.
"I just want to apologize to the Valison family. No family should have to go through what your family has gone through," said Baim.
Baim called Nick's death a "terrible accident" and a "bad decision" fueled by drug addiction.
"I’ve been sober now for over two years and not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could take back everything that has happened," said Baim. "I never meant to hurt anyone or destroy anyone’s family. I’m really not an evil person, I have just made bad choices."
The judge cited accountability when sentencing, giving Baim the maximum sentence of 295 months, or just over 24 years behind bars.
"I do sense that you are truly remorseful, but this was a situation that was completely avoidable," said Judge William Dixon V. "You just can’t un-ring those bells."
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The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.