Michael Paul Courtney, 42, was sentenced to 15 years and three months in prison for fatally shooting his father, Paul Courtney, inside their Parkland home. The term was at the low end of the standard range and matched recommendations from both sides. Evidence in the case also described Courtney as experiencing a mental-health crisis.
Courtney pleaded guilty on Oct. 16, 2025, to second-degree murder with a firearm, according to a Yahoo News report. Prosecutors had first charged him with first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, then amended the charges. Deputy Prosecutor Emily Cox said in a court filing that the change followed plea negotiations and reflected evidentiary issues around premeditation. She also cited Courtney’s mental-health issues in support of the reduced charge.
The shooting happened the night of Oct. 10, 2025, at a home in the 400 block of 142nd Street Court East, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. His mother told deputies that Courtney had been acting strangely and talking to himself in the days beforehand. On the night of the shooting, she heard him speaking upstairs as if to someone. She then heard his father ask, “Who are you talking to?” and, “Are you pointing a gun at me?” Moments later, she heard a gunshot.
The Standoff and Mental-Health Evidence
Deputies found Paul Courtney at the top of the stairs, and he was pronounced dead at 8:27 p.m., the Tacoma News Tribune reported. Michael Courtney did not initially comply with law enforcement. He left the home and was arrested after about 45 minutes of negotiations with a SWAT team.
During negotiations, Courtney said he was God and the manifestation of the Holy Trinity, and continued making similar statements after he was taken into custody. Attorneys with the Department of Assigned Counsel said he had a severe, untreated mental illness at the time and believed his father was trying to kill him. The defense described that belief as “unmoored from reality.”
Diagnosis Dating Back to 2016
A forensic psychologist’s report cited in the case said Courtney was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder in 2016 and was in a mental-health crisis when the shooting occurred. The Yahoo News report also said he had a felony criminal history, including a 2011 conviction for third-degree assault stemming from a fight with his brother.
Judge Thomas Quinlan also ordered Courtney to be evaluated and treated for substance abuse and mental-health issues, and to comply with taking prescribed medications.
Finding Behavioral Health Support
For people seeking help during a serious behavioral-health crisis, Pierce County says its free, confidential 988 call and text service connects callers with a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day. The county also directs people seeking local resources to Access Pierce navigators, reachable by calling or texting 253-572-4357, according to Pierce County. This resource information does not indicate that either service was contacted in Courtney’s case.
Sentencing guidelines and crisis response
Washington’s Sentencing Reform Act uses presumptive ranges to guide judicial discretion, according to the Washington State Caseload Forecast Council’s 2023 Adult Sentencing Guidelines Manual. The manual does not establish the specific calculation in Courtney’s case or explain how the firearm enhancement factored into his sentence. The Pierce County information cited above describes 988 as a connection to a trained crisis counselor and Access Pierce as a resource navigator, but does not identify a mobile crisis response option or explain whether one can be dispatched. The county advises calling 911 for a life-threatening emergency.
Remembering Paul Courtney
Paul Courtney worked as a truck driver and had recently retired. He and his wife had been married for 42 years and raised two sons. His wife described him as kind, grateful and caring, and said he loved his family, was a great father and remained deeply involved in his sons’ lives. She said she was deeply saddened by his death.
