KENT, Wash. — A man found guilty of killing a bystander during a carjacking in 2021 before dumping his body in a gutter has been sentenced to 73 years in prison.
Prosecutors said Joseph Dixon approached a car stopped at a Circle K gas station in Kent back in September 2021 and opened fire.
He shot Devon Hill in the head, killing him instantly, and wounded two other men. They ran away and collapsed, according to charging documents.
“The defendant jumped in the driver’s seat and took off in the vehicle, with Devon Hill dead in the back seat,” court documents said. “A short distance away, the defendant callously dumped Hill’s body in the gutter, abandoned the vehicle, and called for a getaway ride. Later, when he arrived in Bellingham at a motel, he told witnesses that he needed to shower because he had ‘blood....’ on his pants.”
More than a week later, police located Dixon, but he tried to ram police and civilian vehicles in an attempt to escape. A 4-year-old child was in the car with him at the time.
Police shot Dixon and took him into custody.
Dixon has a violent criminal history, with 10 prior felony convictions, prosecutors said
He was convicted of Hill’s death in March.
In a victim impact statement, Hill’s mother said, in part:
“Devon was still living at home when this tragedy occurred. His presence was in every corner of our lives. Now there is only silence where his voice used to be. No more hearing him walk down the hallway. No more laughter from his room. No more updates on his designs or plans for his future. No more silly jokes. No more family game nights. No more family dinners. Every holiday, every birthday, every family milestone is marked by the empty space where he should be standing.
My children lost their guide and protector. I lost my son, my partner, and a piece of my heart that will never return. Our family will never be the same. I will forever be 50% happy and 50% sad at any given moment.”
Several family members appeared in court to give their victim impact statements.
Prosecutors asked that he be sentenced to 81 years in prison.
A judge sentenced him to 73 years.
Frank Lenzi with MyNorthwest.com contributed to this article.
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