A Clark County judge called it “one of the strangest cases I’ve ever heard” before sentencing a Baltimore man Tuesday to 17 years and two months in prison for trying to kill a psychiatrist for life insurance money.
Superior Court Judge Rich Melnick noted Ibn Aquil’s lengthy criminal past and the bizarre nature of last spring’s near-strangling before imposing a 206-month sentence, the high point of the sentencing range.
“It’s an interesting case in terms of Mr. Aquil’s violent history,” he said. “And it’s an extremely unique case as far as attempted murders go.”
In May, a jury convicted Aquil, 26, of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault relating to an attack that occurred April 13, 2009, while the defendant was visiting his cousin in Hockinson. After the heavily intoxicated Aquil came home from a party that morning, he tried to strangle his cousin’s husband, who was asleep on the couch.
The cousin’s husband, Barry Maletzky, owned an 8,000-square-foot house and had a $2.5 million life insurance policy. The prosecution argued Aquil wanted to kill Maletzky, 68, after overhearing Aquil’s cousin — Maletzky’s wife — talk about how much money she stood to gain. Aquil then joked about what he would do with $2.5 million.
Much of Tuesday’s sentencing centered not on the strangling case, but whether Aquil’s previous convictions in Virginia should earn him more prison time.
In Washington, offenders are sentenced using a grid system, with prior criminal history elevating their punishment. Aquil has two burglary convictions and an arson conviction. What Melnick was deciding was whether they should count under Washington’s sentencing laws. He decided they did, which boosted a minimum sentence of nine years to between 11 and 17 years in prison.
When asked by the judge if he wished to speak, Aquil declined. Melnick pressed him further, so defense attorney Suzan Clark interjected, explaining she advised Aquil not to talk because he still maintains his innocence and wishes to appeal the conviction.
Aquil jumped in, saying he actually did want to talk so he could clarify one of his past convictions.
“About the arson, there was nobody in the house,” he said. “And it wasn’t intentional … a cigarette burnt a mattress.”
Melnick listened politely before reminding Aquil of the conviction at hand.
“I think Mrs. Clark did a very good job representing you at trial,” Melnick added.
Aquil nodded animatedly. “Yes, she did.”
Testimony during the three-day trial indicated Maletzky was sleeping on the couch in his living room, letting his in-laws sleep in his bedroom, when he awoke to someone choking him. He only glimpsed his assailant before he fell unconscious.
Maletzky’s wife, Tiara, called 911, identifying Aquil as the attacker. The defendant then fled the home, jumping into an outdoor pool before climbing onto a neighbor’s roof. When sheriff’s deputies responded, Aquil told them, “I surrender,” Deputy Prosecutor Tony Golik said at trial.
Clark had argued that someone else could have attacked Maletzky. In a no-contact order filed by Maletzky several days after the incident, the psychiatrist claimed another man present at the time — his wife’s former boyfriend — had tried to strangle him.
Maletzky, however, later recanted the story, saying he made up that story because he was scared of the former boyfriend.
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
