PORT ANGELES — The jury said he was guilty. That didn’t stop Robert Gene Covarrubias from writing “innocent” in big block letters on the back of his striped Clallam County jail jumpsuit worn at his courtroom sentencing on Thursday.
Apparently, there was no one to stop him, either.
Clallam County Undersheriff Rich Sill said Friday that he was appalled that Covarrubias wore the word in the courtroom, and vowed to find out how a convict could confront a victim’s family with a proclamation of innocence.
But on Saturday, a family member of 15-year-old Melissa Leigh Carter, whom Covarrubias was convicted of killing in 2004, said Sill’s apology was accepted and she hopes no one in authority would face disciplinary action.
A Clallam County jury spent less than a day deliberating last month before convicting Covarrubias, 25, of raping and murdering the Port Angeles teen.
34½-year sentence
When Covarrubias appeared in court Thursday to receive his 34½-year sentence — the maximum allowed by law — he had apparently defaced his jail suit with the message beforehand.
Sill wasn’t impressed by Covarrubias’ scrawled statement and said the convict should not have been allowed into the courtroom.
“There is simply no excuse for the family to be exposed to that,” Sill said.
“I can’t imagine the amount of grief and pain they are going through. It really saddens me to see that. It’s wrong.”
The Sheriff’s Department runs the jail, and Sill accepted responsibility.
“Those people are in my charge,” he said.
“It’s at my doorstep.”
He said no jail supervisors saw the “innocent” writing.
Other sheriff’s personnel would be questioned to determine if the message went unnoticed or if staff saw it and did nothing.
Aunt responds
Michelle Weddle of Salem, Ore., Melissa’s aunt, made the six-hour drive with her daughter and father to be with the family for Thursday’s sentencing.
She said the family was offended by Covarrubias, not the jail staff, and that they hoped officers would not be disciplined for the breach.
Weddle also said the family was grateful for the Sheriff’s Department’s consideration.
“It’s been a tough time for everybody,” she said.
