Murder of Craig Sorger

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Murder of Craig Sorger
LocationEphrata, Washington, U.S.
DateFebruary 15, 2003; 21 years ago (2003-02-15)
Attack type
Murder by Beating and Stabbing
WeaponsA rock, knife and a stick
VictimCraig Martin Sorger
PerpetratorsEvan Drake Savoie
Jake Lee Eakin
MotiveThrill killing
VerdictGuilty
ConvictionsMurder
JudgeKenneth L. Jorgensen

Craig Martin Sorger (February 10, 1990 — February 15, 2003) was a 13-year-old teenager from Ephrata, Washington who was murdered by his then-12-year-old tweenage friends and classmates Evan Drake Savoie (born October or November 1990) and Jake Lee Eakin (born November 14, 1990)[a]. Sorger had been invited by the two boys to play in a park near his home. There, Savoie dropped a large rock on his neck, knocking him to the ground. He then repeatedly beat and stab him with his fists and a knife, respectively. Eakin joined in the attack, beating Sorger in the head and legs with a tree branch.

Savoie and Eakin were both charged with first-degree murder, despite maintaining their innocence. They were tried as adults, becoming the youngest murder defendants tried as adults in the history of the State of Washington. Eakin eventually confessed as part of a plea bargain and agreed to testify against Savoie. Eakin was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Savoie was initially sentenced to 26 years in prison, which was reduced to 20 years after an appeal.

Murder[edit]

Craig Sorger, of Everett, was an autistic and developmentally disabled teenager with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,[1] and a special education student from Ephrata, Washington, a small town of around 6,000 people. He was thirteen years old at the time of his murder.[2] His family had moved to Ephrata two years before because Craig was being bullied.

On the afternoon of February 15, 2003, two twelve-year-old tweenagers—Evan Savoie, of Ephrata, and Jake Eakin, of Moses Lake—stopped by the Sorger residence and asked Craig's mother if he could play with them.[2] According to Craig's younger brother, Evan and Jake had played with Craig several times in the past. Craig's mother allowed her son to go with the two boys, but told them that Craig could not play for long, because he was afraid of the dark.[3]

According to Eakin's later testimony, the three boys went to a nearby park. Savoie asked Sorger to feel the ground in order to see if it was wet. He instructed Sorger to touch the ground and count to ten. While Sorger was on his knees, Savoie dropped a rock "the size of a basketball" on his neck.[4] He then began to repeatedly beat and stab Sorger with his fists and a knife, respectively. Eakin testified that he himself also beat Sorger in the head and legs using a fallen tree branch. With Sorger laying motionless on the ground, the two boys went to Savoie's home.[4]

As night fell, Sorger's mother began searching for Craig as he had not returned quickly as she had instructed. While searching, she visited Savoie's residence, where she found out that Savoie and Eakin had already returned home and were playing video games together, although Sorger was no longer with them. She then called 9-1-1 and went to search the park, where she was joined by Savoie and his parents, and members of the Ephrata Police Department.[3] A police officer soon discovered Sorger's dead body in a pile of leaves near a trail in the park.[5]

When police questioned Savoie and Eakin that night, they claimed they had been climbing trees and playing tag in the park until around 4:30 pm, when they saw Sorger head home. They soon changed their stories and told police that they had seen Sorger fall from a tree.[5]

Police found no evidence that Sorger had fallen from a tree. The coroner also pointed out stab wounds on the body, most likely caused by a knife. Sorger's autopsy revealed that in addition to being beaten several times, he had also been stabbed 5 times in the chest and torso and at least 34 times in the head and neck.[6]

Savoie and Eakin were arrested on February 18, 2003, 3 days after they murdered Sorger[b].

Trials[edit]

Although Savoie and Eakin both claimed innocence, they were charged with first-degree murder and tried as adults. In February 2005, The Washington Supreme Court upheld the decision to try the boys as adults by declining to hear the case.[7] At twelve-years-old, they became the youngest murder defendants tried as adults in the state since 1931.[8] Eakin confessed to his role in the killing in 2005, after spending 26 months in jail awaiting trial. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder by complicity and agreed to testify as a witness against Savoie. Prosecutors agreed to request a relatively light sentence of eight years in prison in exchange for the guilty plea.

On April 28, 2005, Eakin was convicted of second-degree murder. Grant County Superior Court Judge Kenneth L. Jorgensen ruled that there were no mitigating factors to allow for such a sentence of 8 years and instead gave Eakin a mid-range sentence of 14 years in prison.[4][8]

On April 29, 2006, Savoie was convicted of first-degree murder.[9] On July 8, 2006, he was sentenced to over 26 years in prison, the maximum sentence that could be imposed.[10] His lawyer stated that the likelihood that his rehabilitation would be any more effective after 26 years than after 20 years was ridiculous. Grant County Superior Court Judge Kenneth L. Jorgensen, however, disagreed, ruling that the punishment must match the crime. In 2011, Savoie's conviction was overturned on appeal based on the judge's closure of parts of the trial to the public and him having appointed a lawyer for the victim's family who intervened in the trial. After prosecutors announced their intention to stage a second trial, Savoie pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. On March 25, 2014, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[11]

Aftermaths[edit]

On June 12, 2016, Eakin escaped from work release while serving the final months of his sentence. He was recaptured by U.S. Marshals two days later in Rapid City, South Dakota. He was returned to custody and his sentence was extended due to his escape attempt.[12]

Eakin remained incarcerated at Washington Corrections Center for the rest of his sentence.[13] Eakin was released on February 18, 2017 and is now an anti-abortion activist[14] in Greenville, South Carolina[15][c] with a wife and two daughters. He has also apologized to Sorger in a interview. However, he was arrested two times after his release: One in 2018 for trespassing[16] and another one in 2022 for larceny.

Savoie was incarcerated in the Airway Heights Corrections Center,[17] and was released on February 18, 2023.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "State of Washington v. Evan Drake Savoie". Justia Law. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Wright, Melodie (May 8, 2003). "Justice and remembrance". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Cole, David (April 21, 2006). "Victim's mother: 'That's who did it'". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Dininny, Shannon (April 15, 2006). "Teenager describes killing of playmate". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Leung, Rebecca (July 22, 2005). "Boys Next Door". CBS News. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  6. ^ Martin, Jonathan; Armstrong, Ken (August 22, 2004). "Confounding murder case tests court system in turmoil". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Gary, Brad W. (April 28, 2005). "Jake Eakin admitted guilt". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved May 19, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Martin, Jonathan (April 29, 2005). "Youth confesses to role in murder; 14-year sentence surprises courtroom". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Dininny, Shannon (April 29, 2006). "Jury convicts Ephrata teen of killing disabled playmate". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Dininny, Shannon (July 11, 2006). "Teen murderer gets 26-plus years for killing playmate". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  11. ^ "Murderer gets new 20 year sentence". The Columbian. March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  12. ^ Robbins, Jefferson (June 14, 2016). "Jake Lee Eakin recaptured in South Dakota". The Wenatchee World. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  13. ^ "Killer who left Wash. work release caught in SD". Corrections1. June 15, 2016. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Walters, Daniel (January 25, 2019). "Councilman Fagan says he didn't know anti-abortion activist he invited on his show was a murderer". Inlander. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  15. ^ "Obituary: Christopher Alan Vickery (1966 - 2024)". Source ONE News. April 7, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  16. ^ Shugerman, Emily (February 2, 2019). "The Brutal Story of Jake Eakin, Child Murderer Turned Anti-Abortion Zealot". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "Inmate Search | Washington State Department of Corrections".

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ In one of his Facebook accounts, he lists his birth date as on November 14, 1990.
  2. ^ Jake has stated in one of his Facebook posts that him and Evan were arrested for Craig's murder 3 days after they did it.
  3. ^ In Jake's dad's obituary, it is revealed that Jake lives in Greenville, South Carolina with his family.
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