Lacey man sentenced to over 46 years for 2018 double homicide
A Lacey man was sentenced to over 46 years in prison Thursday for fatally shooting two of his roommates in late 2018.
Logan Ochoa, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder for the crimes in November.
The incident started with a dispute between Ochoa and his girlfriend at the time, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Scott Jackson said at sentencing.
It was clear from a law enforcement investigation, said Jackson, that Ochoa had been using drugs and, according to his girlfriend, had become paranoid and fixated on the idea that one of his roommates and his girlfriend had “some sort of relationship.”
A probable cause statement filed by prosecutors and written by a Lacey Police detective details that Ochoa’s girlfriend was the person who called 911 on Nov. 17, 2018. Ochoa had kicked her out of the Lacey house where they lived, she said, and wouldn’t let her back inside.
Ochoa’s girlfriend told an officer that Ochoa had tried to intimidate her with a gun, according to the statement. While the officer and Ochoa’s girlfriend were talking, Ochoa walked toward them with his hands up and said he shot his two roommates.
The two victims were identified as Summer Scheibel, 23, of Olympia, and Nick Olson, 25, of Lacey.
Ochoa initially said he shot them in self-defense, then later told detectives he shot them because “they bullied him,” according to the statement.
“He admitted he shot them pointblank without any warning,” the statement reads, that he shot Scheibel first and “kept pulling the trigger until she stopped making noises,” before walking down the hallway and shooting Olson.
After moving to a different position, he fired one more round at Olson to make sure he was dead, the court documents read.
Ochoa had been held without bail at the Thurston County Jail since his arrest.
Several of the victims’ family members shared emotional statements to a full courtroom Thursday, at Ochoa’s sentencing.
Scheibel’s sister Autumn described Scheibel as a woman who would “dig herself 10 feet underground if it meant lifting someone else up,” and mother Kristin Scheibel described her as a caring woman with a beautiful smile who loved to hike, camp, travel, and go to concerts.
“Logan took her life and mine along with it,” Scheibel’s mother said through tears. “I am the mother of a senselessly murdered daughter. Grief is my life now.”
Olson’s sister’s written statement included detailed memories of her brother, who she called her best friend — people would refer to them as “two peas in a pod,” she wrote. Both families described the intense grief they’ve experienced since November 2018.
“I will publicly say: I love you, Nick,” Olson’s father said. “I miss you.”
The written and verbal victim statements left a marked impression on Thurston County Superior Court Judge Erik Price.
“I’ve done, conservatively, thousands of sentencings, hundreds of victim impact statements,” Price said. “And there are a handful that are ones that you remember. And this is one of those.”
Prosecutors originally filed charges for two counts of aggravated first-degree murder while armed with a deadly weapon and one charge of second-degree assault while armed with a firearm. The penalty for aggravated murder is life in prison.
Ochoa’s plea to two counts of first-degree murder was negotiated by the attorneys, Jackson wrote in an email to The Olympian, with several factors in mind, including the seriousness of the crimes, Ochoa’s age and lack of criminal history, and consultation with the victims’ families.
Defense Attorney Angela Colaiuta said when she first saw Ochoa after he was arrested, he was a person “shrouded in a cloud of drugs” and paranoid. But as he became “healthy,” sober, and aware, he never made excuses for his actions, she said. He directed his attorneys to approach prosecutors and come to a resolution.
“We’re here today because Logan took the lives of two people,” Colaiuta said in court. “He can’t take that back, and they didn’t deserve to die. I want to acknowledge the depth of sorrow that these families have gone through. I want to acknowledge the seismic effect of Logan’s crime on these families and everyone else here. And on behalf of the defense team, I want to offer my sincere and very heartfelt condolences.”
Ochoa himself gave a short statement, apologizing to the victims’ families.
“I want to say I’m sorry to the Scheibel family and the Olson family for taking the life of each of their family members,” Ochoa said. “I know my saying sorry won’t bring anyone back, but I hope that maybe someday you will be able to accept my apology.”
Judge Price issued a sentence in the middle of the standard range, as jointly recommended by the attorneys in the case: Ochoa was issued two 280-month sentences, to be served consecutively. In total, that’s 46 years and eight months, plus six years in community custody.
If good time is applied, Jackson said the attorneys expect Ochoa would not be released until around age 65.
Ochoa also is required to pay standard fees and restitution for burial and related costs and was ordered not to have contact with his former girlfriend, two former roommates, or the families of Scheibel and Olson for the rest of his life.
“I wish these families the very best,” Judge Price said as he closed the hearing. “This process has been painful. At least there’s closure to this process today.”
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