Snohomish County Prosecutor Mark Roe yesterday announced that he won’t be seeking the death penalty against Holly Ann Grigsby for her active involvement in the murders of Leslie (Dee Dee) Pedersen and her husband Red Pedersen. The body of Leslie Pedersen was found in her home at the Everett Mobile Country Club back on September 28th. She had been stabbed to death. That began an investigation leading to revelations of three additional murders stretching from Everett to California. Grigsby’s co-defendant, David (Joey) Pedersen has already pled guilty to the Everett murders and is serving life in prison. Here’s Snohomish County Prosecutor Mark Roe’s statement on why he did not pursue the death penalty…
I have decided not to seek the death penalty for Holly Ann Grigsby. The charges remain two counts of Aggravated Murder in the First Degree, with Life Imprisonment without parole the only remaining sentencing option.
There is ample evidence that co-defendant David J. Pedersen’s hatred for his father was the primary motivation for these crimes. Unarguably, the nature of this defendants alleged physical acts, committed against a completely innocent victim, Leslie Pederson, almost defy description. Still, this defendant had no violent criminal history previous to this, is quite young at 24, and appears to have been following the lead of David J. Pedersen.
Proportionality also weighs against seeking death for this defendant after declining to do so for her co-defendant who was older, instigated the crimes, and had more criminal history, some of it violent.
The case remains set for trial. As is the practice of this office we will not further discuss specific facts of pending cases, pursuant to RPC 3.8. As always, the defendant is presumed innocent, and that presumption remains intact.
There is still the possibility that Federal authorities or prosecutors in Oregon or California could pursue the death penalty against Grigsby and Joey Pedersen for the murders the couple are suspected of in their jurisdictions.
Pedersen and Grigsby are being held in the Sno. Co.Jail on 1st degree murder charges
Shortly after 8:30 this evening, Holly Ann Grigsby and David Joseph Pedersen were booked into the Snohomish County Jail in downtown Everett. The two are suspected in the deaths of Pedersen’s father David “Red” Pedersen and his wife, Leslie “Dee Dee” Pedersen at the Mobile Country Club late last month. They are also the prime suspects in the killing of a man in Oregon and another in California after committing the murders in Everett. Earlier today, the two were brought to Everett and according to Everett Police Spokesman Robert Goetz, both spoke with detectives. They are each being held without bail on two counts of 1st degree murder and are expected to make a court appearance tomorrow in Everett. The Snohomish County Prosecutor will have to make a decision on whether or not to pursue the death penalty. There is also the possibility the case would be turned over to Federal prosecutors as the alleged killers murder spree covered three different states. That could save Snohomish County the massive cost of a double death penalty prosecution. We’ll try to follow developments as they unfold throughout Wednesday.
Everett Police this afternoon presented details of what they believe happened in the murders of David (Red) Jones Pedersen and Leslie (Dee Dee) Pedersen at the Mobile Country Club Trailer Park on September 28th as well as the deaths of Cody Myers of Lafayette, Oregon and now a 4th victim, Reginald Alan Clark in Eureka, California. The suspects in this crime spree are 24-year-old Holly Ann Grigsby and 31-year-old David Joseph Pedersen. They are currently in custody in Yuba County, California. I’ll let Sgt. Goetz video speak for itself. If you are using this video please credit MyEverettNews.com. One other reminder that a rememberance has been set for the Everett victims on October 23rd.
David Jones Pedersen is still considered missing and endangered
While there is no official identification yet, Everett Police this afternoon confirmed there was in fact a body found inside a Jeep Patriot found yesterday in Linn County, Oregon. Here’s the latest information directly from Everett Police…
Linn County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the black 2010 Jeep Patriot associated with an Everett, Washington Police Department murder investigation was recovered Saturday, October 8, 2011. Investigators also confirmed finding an unidentified deceased white adult male inside the vehicle. The body will be taken to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office in Clackamas where an autopsy will be done to positively identify the deceased and determine the manner and cause of death. The autopsy is tentatively scheduled for Monday.
According to Linn County Deputy Mike Harmon, investigators followed up on information developed during the last several days and found the missing vehicle early Friday afternoon, October 7, 2011 in a remote wooded area of rural Linn County, Oregon. The vehicle was discovered over an embankment along a logging road in the vicinity of Yellowbottom Campground north of Green Peter Lake. It was not visible from the roadway.
Working in cooperation with Everett Police Department investigators, Linn County Sheriff’s Office coordinated search and rescue resources from Marion, Benton, Linn, and Crook counties to find and recover the vehicle. It has been seized as evidence for Everett police as part of their investigation. The vehicle will be returned to an undisclosed location in Everett awaiting a search warrant to be processed for evidence.
The vehicle was the subject of a massive search in Oregon to assist Everett Police Department. Two suspects associated with their investigation and a murder investigation in Oregon were arrested Thursday by California Highway Patrol in Yuba County, California.
Pedersen and Grisby are each being held on $1,000,000.00 bail in California
Suspect reportedly uses past tense when referring to his father during court hearing. The Appeal-Democrat newspaper in Marysville, CA is reporting that David Joseph Pedersen, 31 and Holly Ann Grigsby, 24 are each being held on one million dollars bail on local charges of felon in possession of a weapon and vehicle theft in California. The paper says the two entered pleas of not guilty this afternoon in a hearing in Yuba, CA. The paper says at one point David Joseph Pedersen created an outburst in the courtroom saying, “He was my father. She was not related to me.” apparently in reference to the prosecutor talking about David Jones Pedersen, 56 who is still missing and Leslie May Pedersen, 69 who was found murdered in her trailer at the Mobile Country Club in south Everett on September 28th. In addition to granting the one million dollars bail, the judge continued the hearing until Tuesday. By that time it is expected that authorities here in Everett will file an extradition request to bring the two back to Washington State to face murder charges. Oregon State is also expected to ask for extradition in relation to the murder of 19-year-old Cody Myers from Lafayette, Oregon. Pedersen and Grigsby were driving his car at the time of their arrest. His body was found on Wednesday and police say he’d been shot in the head and chest. Today Police revealed that the Black Jeep Patriot taken from the Mobile Country Club in Everett was located in a remote area of Linn County, Oregon. Everett Police Spokesman Sgt. Robert Goetz would not reveal any other information than that the Jeep was located. There is still no word on David Jones Pedersen, who as of this writing is still considered a missing and endangered person.
The Everett Police Department is confirming that the Jeep belonging to Leslie Pedersen has been found…
Linn County Oregon: Investigators involved in the search for the black 2010 Jeep Patriot missing out of Everett, Washington that is associated with a homicide investigation confirmed the vehicle was found abandoned in a remote location in Linn County, Oregon.
The vehicle was found early Friday afternoon, October 7, 2011. No other information regarding the vehicle, its location and condition, and other details is expected to be released today.
Everett, Washington Police Department and Oregon law enforcement agencies involved in their investigation and the Cody Myers murder investigation thanks everyone who has been providing information to help during the last several days.
May 5, 2012
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