Charleen Kriens holds a picture of her son Austin Wenner as she addresses the court during Fridays’ sentencing hearing in Seattle. Convicted killer Michael Dudley wearing a red jumpsuit watches in the background.
The Burien Landlord accused of killing and dismembering two tenants received the maximum prison sentence.
“Michael Dudley has contempt and utter disrespect for the victims” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Don Raz told the court during the Friday morning sentencing hearing.
But Dudley maintained his innocence to the end even as he appeared to criticize the destructive tendencies of the two victims “Despite their pernicious nature they helped me quite a bit, you know my heart goes out to their families.”
The jury deliberated for a day-&-a-half before convicting the landlord of killing 27 year old Austin Wenner and 35 year old Jessica Lewis in June of 2020.
“Austin was only 27 years old when you viciously took his life” Charleen Kriens was not in a forgiving mood as she spoke to her sons’ killer “You deserve to spend longer than that in prison, you deserve to die in prison.”
The bodies of young couple were dismembered, stuffed in suitcases and dumped in separate bodies of water before one them washed up on Alki Beach in Seattle.
“However, this is a situation which Mr. Dudley maintains the wrong individual was convicted” Defense Attorney Barad Barshis alleges there were other potential killers but he wasn’t allowed to present that evidence to the jury “The court has been given the probably cause statement that lays out they were fearful of another set individuals for their life.”
At 65, Michael Dudley is old and frail. But family friend Gina Jaskey recounted a story she heard about the defendant “I saw once where Michael Dudley, after killing a dog in front of Michael and Jessica, told the dogs’ owner that there was no difference between the realm of good and evil.”
Dudley spoke to the court for more than five minutes, but only alluded to other killers “I wish I could speak to that more, but needless to say their actions (Michael & Jessica) saved lives.”
Charleen Kriens, who at one point rushed out of the courtroom during Dudley’s remarks, told him “I want you to know you didn’t get away with this. Austin & Jessica’s lives mattered, you will never receive forgiveness from me.”
King County Superior Court Judge Aimee Sutton gave Dudley the maximum sentence for 2nd degree murder 47 years in prison; which at 65 is a life sentence for Michael Dudley.
His lawyers immediately filed a notice of appeal.