SEATTLE — In a crime that drew national attention, the Burien landlord who murdered two tenants and then put their bodies into suitcases was sentenced on Friday.
A viral TikTok video showed teens finding a victim’s remains in a suitcase along Alki Beach in West Seattle.
Michael Lee Dudley, 65, was convicted of second-degree murder in Dec. 2022.
In June 2020, Dudley shot and killed 35-year-old Jessica Lewis and 27-year-old Austin Wenner at his home in Burien, which he was sharing with the victims.
The mother of one of the victims was relived when she heard the judge say Dudley would face a sentence of almost 47 years.
According to court documents, moments before the two tenants were shot, there was argument about unpaid rent.
Neighbors told detectives they called 911 after they heard gunfire and heard a man yelling, “Please don’t do this, just let me leave.”
Court documents said detectives found bullet holes, spent rounds and blood in the room the couple was renting, and that “it was obvious the room had recently been painted and cleaned.”
Those in court on Friday heard from three of the victims’ family members, including Austin Wenner’s mother, Charlene Kriens.
“I will no longer get to see his beautiful smile, his sparkling eyes. I will no longer get to spend time my garden with him and Jessica. I will no longer get to hear him say, ‘Hey mom, happy birthday mom,’” said Kriens.
Dudley also addressed the court. He maintained his innocence.