Welcome to Skagit County

July 20th, 2005

SKAGIT COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY WON'T SEEK DEATH PENALTY IN AGGRAVATED FIRST DEGREE MURDER CHARGE AGAINST POTENTIAL THREE STRIKE OFFENDER

SKAGIT COUNTY - Tom Seguine, Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney, announced today that he will not be seeking the death penalty in the Aggravated Murder case against Terrance Jon Irby, DOB 6/10/1958, related to the death of James T. Rock on March 8, 2005 in Hamilton, Washington.  Despite this decision, Irby still faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole by virtue of the aggravated murder charge and under the state’s three strikes law.

Seguine said that he had taken the opportunity to review aggravated murder cases which have occurred in Skagit County and across the state, and compared them to the facts at issue in this case. 

“All capital murder cases are egregious and heinous, by definition.  Still, a sentence of death has traditionally been reserved for those cases that are somehow beyond those terms, often involving multiple victims, or extreme cruelty.   This case, though revolting, does not fit within these definitions,” said Seguine.

Irby is also charged with eight other felonies which are related to the murder charge, including two counts of burglary, robbery, three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and attempting to elude a police officer.

The Honorable Michael Rickert denied bail to Irby. Under Washington law, a person charged in a capital case is not entitled to bail. Irby is incarcerated in the Skagit County Jail. 

For further information, contact: Tom Seguine,
Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney,
at 360-336-9460.