PORT ANGELES — It’s unusual in any murder case for the victim to have a say in the killer’s case.
But before Jimmie Homer Shreve pulled the trigger last year to end her life, Elizabeth “Beth” MacNeille, 54, wrote numerous letters to friends and family members indicating she wanted to die.
“In this case, I had the victim telling me very clearly what her wishes were,” Clallam County Superior Court Judge Ken Williams said Wednesday. “And of course, you don’t get that in murders.”
Shreve, 52, pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and was sentenced to time he’s already served in jail for killing MacNeille Aug. 14, 2001, in a failed suicide pact.
He was originally charged with first-degree murder, but accepted a plea bargain for the lesser charge Monday.
Shreve’s attorney, John Hayden with Clallam County public defenders, said Wednesday the case would meet the elements of a homicide if brought before a jury.
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