Man gets 97+ years for killing 3 in Kent in 2003

A man faces more than 97 years in prison for his killing his boss and two others in Kent.

King County Superior Court Judge George T. Mattson sentenced 23-year-old Tony Smith of Burien on Friday.

Smith was convicted in May of killing 24-year-old Francisco Santos-Rojas, his 16-year-old nephew, Edgar Santos, and 24-year-old Ruben Fuentes. Their bodies were found on Jan. 3, 2003, in a Chevrolet Tahoe on West Valley Highway in Kent.

Court papers say Smith had been working for Santos-Rojas for several months as a chauffeur on drug-buying trips.

Investigators believe the slain men had hidden $30,000 to $60,000 in cash in the SUV. After the killing police found more than $1,600 in cash, as well as two handguns, two pit bulls and some marijuana at Smith's apartment.

Mattson rejected defense claims that the jury verdict was tainted by racism.

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