In a recent courtroom appearance in Maple Valley, two white-supremacist gang members pleaded not guilty to brutal double homicide charges, KOMO News reported. The accused, Brandon Gerner, 41, and Joshua Jones, 34, also face additional charges including animal cruelty and rendering criminal assistance, respectively.
Authorities found the victims, Robert Leroy Frederick Riley, 57, and Ashley Nicole Williams, 34, discarded under trash and debris in a suburban neighborhood. Both had succumbed to gunshot wounds to the chest, with Williams also bearing the brutality of multiple stab wounds. Gerner remains held without bail, while Kings County Superior Court judge Johanna Bender reduced Jones' bail from a staggering $1 million to $20,000. If Jones posts bail, he must submit to electronic home monitoring with GPS, according to KING 5.
The plea entered is the latest development in a case that has shocked Maple Valley, a town unaccustomed to such violence. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office alleges Gerner had assistance from both Jones and another member of their prison gang, Kody Olsen, in the disposal of the bodies. Olsen, however, met his demise last December following a shootout with Pierce County deputies.
During the investigation, Google location data placed Jones and Olsen at the scene of the crime, and a person close to Olsen gave a harrowing account of the events, implicating both Olsen and Gerner in the brutal acts. "Jones told police Gerner admitted to stabbing Williams numerous times before the knife broke and Olsen shot her," KATU News disclosed. Despite these confessions, Gerner denied stabbing Williams during his interview with detectives.
The case has drawn emotional responses from the community and the victims' families. "What happened to my sister was awful," Angela Williams, Ashley's sister, implored the judge. "Nobody is safe if he is out," she told KING 5 during the hearing. As the trial progresses, Maple Valley residents and the families of the victims await justice in this gruesome case that has shattered their sense of security.
