Burglar sentenced for killing Kent woman who’d been caring for 4-month-old grandchild
A man accused of killing a Kent grandmother whose home he burglarized has been sentenced.
Jurors convicted 28-year-old Lance Gene Francoise Rougeau of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, residential burglary and motor vehicle theft earlier this year.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ashcraft gave him a high-end sentence of 45 years, eight months Friday for the death of Linda Sweezer.
Her body was found burned Oct. 24, 2017 near 24th Street Court East and 169th Avenue East. She had been stabbed and strangled.
When police went to the 64-year-old’s home, they found her 4-month-old granddaughter alone. Sweezer had been in the process of adopting the child.
There were signs of a struggle at the home, and investigators found Rougeau’s blood and Sweezer’s at the scene.
Rougeau also burglarized another home.
Prosecutors played a recording Friday of Vercy Jones, Sweezer’s sister, who said travel restrictions due to the pandemic kept her from attending the sentencing in-person.
Jones said the family has been devastated by Sweezer’s death, and that they’re still grieving.
She said her sister was loving, caring and put family first.
“It’s a blessing that the grandchild is still alive,” Jones said.
She called what happened to Sweezer “unnecessary violence” and said, “I still don’t understand why it occurred.”
Deputy prosecutor Kevin Benton told the court Sweezer “was brutally assaulted in her home, thrown in the trunk of her car, eventually thrown from the car and set on fire.”
Sweezer likely suffered psychologically as well “knowing that her granddaughter is upstairs,” Benton said.
Rougeau argued at trial there was evidence to suggest other people were involved.
“It’s a tragic loss,” defense attorney Leslie Tolzin told the court at sentencing about Sweezer’s death. “There’s no question about that.”
Tolzin said his client has maintained his innocence.
“We know for a fact that other people were involved in this crime,” Tolzin said.
He argued for a low-end sentence and said there was nothing to be gained by Rougeau serving the extra time of a high-end term.
Rougeau did not address the court prior to being sentenced.
Ashcraft said the crime seemed “especially senseless.”
Sweezer had been living “a modest life and also taking care of her grandchild,” he said.
The judge noted that he just finished a stretch in family court. He’s appreciative, he said, of relatives who step up to care for children.
“It’s the right thing to do, and clearly Ms. Sweezer was doing that,” he said.
Then he handed down Rougeau’s sentence.
An obituary for Sweezer said she was active with the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Kent and with the Kent Black Action Commission.
She grew up in Flint, Michigan, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Western Michigan University and worked for Providence Healthcare in Renton.
