Supreme court rulings open door for Seattle man sentenced to life

EVERETT — After serving over half his life behind bars, a Seattle man now has a chance to get out after high court rulings.

Eric Krueger was originally sentenced to life without parole for the 1997 fatal shooting of Ronald Greenwood and Brady Brown of Everett. Krueger was 20 at the time. He’s now 46.

Superior Court Judge Karen Moore resentenced Krueger to 40 total years in prison Tuesday, with credit for the 25 years he has already served, the Everett Herald reported.

A state Supreme Court ruling last year opened the door for the potential resentencing or release of some convicts like Krueger, who were younger at the time of the crime. Under a decision, the court ruled judges must consider the age of defendants in sentencing.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that “children are constitutionally different from adults for purposes of sentencing.” The Washington court ruling extended that to 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds.

At the time of the murder, Krueger was six weeks shy of his 21st birthday.

Two others in Snohomish County were resentenced under the decision. In January, Aaron Howerton was the first to be released outright. Arthur Longworth, 57, got out of prison last month. Both had been convicted of murder.