3 suspects in shooting of 13-year-old boy plead not guilty

Name: 3 suspects plead not guilty in deadly shooting of Kent teen
Uploaded: 2024-08-12T17:24:00-07:00
Description: Three young men blamed for the shooting death of a 13-year-old in Kent entered pleas of not guilty in court on Monday.

3 suspects plead not guilty in deadly shooting of Kent teen

Three young men blamed for the shooting death of a 13-year-old in Kent entered pleas of not guilty in court on Monday.

SEATTLE - Three young men blamed for the shooting death of a 13-year-old in Kent entered pleas of not guilty in court on Monday.

Investigators say the boy was an innocent bystander, fatally wounded when a camera sale went sideways in a local park. The three who appeared in court, aren’t much older than the victim, ranging in ages from 16 to 20 years old. All three charged in connection with the death of 13-year-old Matthiew Stavkovy.

On July 16, Stavkovy met with some friends who were selling their camera at Turnkey Park in Kent, according to police. Court documents reveal Faysal Abdullahi and three others held Stavkovy and his friends at gunpoint, stealing the camera and shooting Stavkovy. Abdullahi is accused of setting up the entire exchange. He pleaded not guilty last week.

On Monday, the three others also pleaded not guilty. All three are charged with murder and robbery in the first degree. One of the accused is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

While our cameras captured little to no emotion from the defendants, the loved ones of Stavkovy are making an emotional plea to see those responsible be held accountable.

"None of this will bring Matthiew back, but if justice is done right, more people like Matthiew can continue walking safely in public places in public parks," Vlad Melnik, family friend and teen minister told FOX 13 previously.

"To honor Matthiew, is to help prevent this from ever happening to another kid," family friend Andrew Potapchuk told FOX 13 previously.

The trial is scheduled to start on September 30.

The judge also granted a motion to move the case from Kent to Seattle. FOX 13 reached out to the Prosecutor’s Office about the reason for the change. They said, "all four of the co-defendants are charged as adults, though two of them are still under age 18. In situations where there are co-defendants with some over age 18 and some younger than age 18 (even when all are charged as adults) prosecutors routinely ask for a change of venue specifically for the court proceedings.

Bail remains at $2 million.