COURT & CRIME BRIEFS

Adams Street car fire

Central Mason Fire & EMS crews fought a car fire on Adams Street in Shelton Monday morning. The call was reported about 10:15 a.m. and fire crews arrived in minutes to find a passenger vehicle in the alley between Adams Street and Olympic Highway North on fire. Crews quickly extinguished the blaze. The driver of the vehicle was evaluated at the scene for minor burns and transported to Mason General Hospital for further evaluation and care. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Shelton Police Department, South Mason Fire and MACECOM assisted Central Mason Fire on this incident.

Counselor pleads guilty to third-degree child rape

Former Shelton High School counselor Samuel Caffey, 30, pleaded guilty to third-degree rape of a child at a hearing Jan. 23 and will be sentenced by Judge Daniel Goodell Feb. 27.

Caffey has been in custody since June 2 on charges of third-degree rape of a child, third-degree child molestation and distribution of a controlled substance to a minor, all related to a teenage student under his advisement.

The definition of third-degree child rape under Washington law is "a person who has sexual intercourse with another who is at least 14 years old but less than 16 years old and the perpetrator is at least 48 months older than the victim."

The standard sentence range is 12-14 months.

Mason County Prosecutor Michael Dorcy filed a notice of intent to seek an exceptional sentence for Caffey in August, citing aggravating factors, including Caffey using his "position of trust."

In Caffey's written plea, he admits to having sex with the student and says he "used my position of trust to facilitate the commission of this crime and hereby stipulate than an exceptional sentence is warranted."

Alleged murderer has March trial date

Shelton resident Jerry T. Upson, 43, charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kenneth D. Simmons, 68, has a March 12 jury trial in front of Judge Daniel Goodell.

Police observed Upson on surveillance video with a handgun entering and leaving Simmons' home numerous times Oct. 27, according to the probable cause document filed by the Mason County Sheriff's Office.

Upson was charged with first-degree murder Oct. 28, 2023 and has been jailed on a $1 million bond.

Shelton murder suspect has trial set for March

Murder suspect William Williams, 41, in custody since Oct. 11 on $1 million bail, has a March 11 jury trial date with Judge Monty Cobb presiding.

Prosecutors have charged Williams with second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm in connection with the shooting death of Janus Afo on Sept. 28 in downtown Shelton.

Williams filed an inmate request "for paperwork to get married" in November 2023.

Last Tahuya murder defendant's trial this month

Breanna Stewart, 26, will face a 12-person jury Feb. 13 for first-degree murder in connection with the death of Alejandro Rodriguez in Tahuya.

Three other people have already pleaded guilty in connection with the murder and were sentenced last year by Judge Monty Cobb.

Stewart pleaded not guilty and has been held on a $500,000 bond since her arrest in January 2023.