Olympia, WA: A 30-year-old man has received a sentence of over 15 years in prison for fatally stabbing another individual in northwest Olympia in April of last year.
On February 23, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Sharonda D. Amamilo handed down a 181-month prison sentence to Kevin Andrew Johnson for second-degree murder. Johnson admitted to killing Nathaniel “Alex” Montoya on April 30, 2023, after pleading guilty on Jan. 4.
The incident took place before 2 a.m. that day in the 1800 block of East End Street Northwest, west of Division Street. Johnson and three other family members were apprehended close to Vancouver in Clark County following an extensive search. He was sentenced after agreeing to a plea deal that prevented a trial by jury.
A spokesperson for the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office expressed gratitude towards the community members and law enforcement involved in apprehending and investigating the defendants in this case.
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“The defendant’s agreement to the plea offer from the State resolved the criminal case, preventing witnesses from having to recount that tragic day in a jury trial and bringing some closure to the case,” stated the PAO spokesperson. “We anticipate that the conclusion of this case will provide some comfort to loved ones as they navigate through this difficult time.”
An obituary for Montoya portrayed him as a talented individual who excelled in various artistic pursuits and had a great sense of humor. He is survived by his son, parents, sisters, and the rest of his extended family.
Johnson, with no previous criminal record, faced a sentencing range of 123-220 months in prison, as per court records. In May 2023, he was charged by prosecutors with second-degree murder while armed with a deadly weapon and tampering with physical evidence.
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Kevin Andrew Johnson’s siblings, Mathew Ryan Johnson, 26, and Michael Jay Johnson, 35, admitted guilt on Jan. 8 to second-degree rendering criminal assistance. The two brothers were sentenced to 364 days in jail by Judge Indu Thomas on the same day.
Steven William Johnson’s father, aged 60, admitted to first-degree rendering criminal assistance and tampering with physical evidence on July 10, 2023. Judge Amamilo handed down a sentence of one year and 364 days of confinement.
Johnson attacked Montoya with a knife, inflicting six wounds in front of his parent’s house on April 30, 2023. According to reports, his mother dialed 911 while he was bleeding on the pavement.
Montoya was strolling back to his parent’s house after a night at a nearby tavern.
Steven William Johnson approached Montoya in his RV and had a conversation with him. He thought Montoya had knocked on the RV before and said something like “leave the neighborhood,” as per court documents.
An altercation occurred, leading to the two men physically engaging with each other, as documented in court records. Following the incident, Kevin Andrew Johnson stepped out of the vehicle through the passenger door and attacked Montoya.
William B. Starnes and Jose R. Villanueva, Johnson’s attorneys, stated in a court memorandum that Montoya provoked the Johnsons while drunk and got into a physical altercation with Steven William Johnson. They claimed that Kevin Andrew Johnson took action to protect his father.
Johnson’s lawyers described their client’s difficult life starting from childhood, which included untreated head trauma and reliance on alcohol and cannabis.