An Everett man convicted of ordering the murder of Rachel Burkheimer was sentenced to nearly 37 years in prison Friday, despite his claims of innocence.
Yusef “Kevin” Jihad, 34, said he felt bad about Burkheimer’s death, but denied responsibility.
The case against him was built upon “a mountain of lies,” Jihad told Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer.
“I swear it to God, on my immortal soul,” he said.
A Snohomish County jury in April convicted Jihad of first-degree murder, kidnapping and conspiracy in connection with the September 2002 abduction and shooting of Burkheimer, 18, of Marysville.
Jurors heard evidence that Jihad led an Everett-based gang that called itself the Northwest Mafia and whose members engaged in robbery, drug trafficking and other crimes.
The gang came to see a threat in the 4-foot-11-inch Burkheimer, jurors were told. She accepted an invitation to Jihad’s duplex. She left bound, beaten and stuffed into a duffel bag. Days later, she was found in a crude grave near Gold Bar, the victim of multiple gunshot wounds. Prosecutors presented testimony that Jihad ordered the killing.
Tears flowed in the courtroom Friday as Burkheimer’s family urged that Jihad’s punishment reflect the depth of their loss.
“I want to reach into your heart and rip it out, as you have done to me,” said Burkheimer’s mother, Denise Webber. “You said you have a young daughter. As a father, think of thugs like yourself doing those same horrendous things that were done to Rachel.”
Rachel’s father, Bill Burkheimer, called Jihad “coldhearted, evil, egocentric and ignorant.” He recalled testimony about Jihad’s efforts to make sure there was no physical evidence that could be used to link him to the crime.
“You ordered her fingernails cleaned as she was bound and gagged in the garage. What did you think you could remove from under her nails that would make Rachel not part of a family that loved her beyond all words?” Bill Burkheimer asked.
Deputy prosecutor Michael Downes said Jihad deserved a 50-year sentence because the killing was particularly cruel and done to protect a criminal organization.
Jihad’s court-appointed attorney, Mickey Krom, said his client should be sentenced to no more than 28 years in prison, the mandatory minimum. But before making that pitch, Krom turned to face Burkheimer’s family, asking to speak to them “as a father and not a lawyer.”
His voice breaking with sorrow, Krom talked of his love for his own daughter and his grief over Rachel Burkheimer’s death. The attorney apologized for the killing and said he wished there was something he could do to ease the suffering.
“I pray that God will wrap his arms around you and comfort and console you” and bring something worthwhile and beautiful from a tragedy, Krom told Burkheimer’s family.
Allendoerfer sentenced Jihad to the top punishment under state guidelines. The triggerman in the case, John Phillip Anderson, 22, was sentenced to life in prison without release. Jihad’s punishment needed to reflect his different role, the judge said.
Allendoerfer said Burkheimer’s killing brought attention to a group of people who “demonstrated a total absence of moral perspective and moral courage.”
It also has highlighted the “remarkable strength of character” of her family, and their endurance in the face of great loss, the judge said.
“Our community is honored by the way you have responded,” he said.
Opening statements in the trial of the lone remaining defendant charged in the case, John Whitaker, 23, are scheduled for early next week.
Reporter Scott North: 425-339-3431 or north@heraldnet.com.
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