A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree murder in the videotaped torture of a man who later was killed and dumped in East Pierce County.
Maalo Samaota, 31, faces 23 to 29 years in prison when sentenced Jan. 5. He faced life in prison without parole under his original charge of aggravated murder.
Samaota wrote in his plea agreement that he and Michael Crosman kidnapped 50-year-old Albert Keith Roberts and that Crosman later killed Roberts.
Samaota admitted to being armed with a deadly weapon during the kidnapping.
Roberts was tortured inside a Lakewood apartment in July 2010, allegedly at the behest of a man angry with him for stealing a car that contained the man’s drugs. His body later was discovered in a remote area near Harts Lake.
That man, Randy Harbin, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and awaits trial.
A videotape of the torture obtained by police shows someone shoving a screwdriver into Roberts’ neck at one point. He also was beaten and threatened.
Crosman is charged with aggravated first-degree murder and faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. He’s pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial later this month.
He allegedly tried to asphyxiate Roberts then hit him in the head with a weight-lifting plate, court records show.
Three other people also are charged in the case, two for allegedly luring Roberts to the apartment and the other for allegedly helping Harbin.
Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644
adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/crime
Twitter: @TNTadam
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