Savoie murder trial pushed back until fall

14-year-old still faces charge of first-degree murder

EPHRATA — Evan Savoie won't face trial later this month as previously scheduled.

One day after co-defendant Jake Eakin pleaded guilty for his role in the death of 13-year-old Craig Sorger, Grant County Superior Court Judge Ken Jorgensen granted a continuance of the trial date in Savoie's case. The trial date has been rescheduled for Nov. 7.

Sorger was beaten and stabbed to death in Oasis Park in Ephrata on Feb. 15, 2003. Both Eakin and Savoie, who were 12 years old when Sorger was killed, had been charged with first-degree murder in his death.

They had both previously denied committing the crime, and were scheduled to stand trial together as adults later this month. But Eakin changed his story and his plea Thursday. In a packed courtroom, Eakin pleaded guilty to amended charges of complicity to second-degree murder, admitting that he was there when Sorger was murdered.

In pleading guilty, Eakin also named Savoie as the one who committed the murder, and has agreed to testify against Savoie at trial.

Both prosecution and defense attorneys reached an agreement to sentence Eakin to eight years, but Jorgensen deviated from the plea agreement and sentenced Eakin to approximately 14 years for his role in the crime.

Savoie, now 14, was still facing trial date of May 16 on the charges before Friday's continuance hearing. A hearing for a motion to dismiss the case against Savoie had been scheduled for this Thursday, but that hearing was taken off the schedule after Friday's hearing.

Savoie defense attorneys Randy Smith and C.E. Hormel filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing government misconduct and arbitrary action on behalf of the prosecutor's office. Smith said Tuesday that the motion would be heard at a later date.

Prosecutor Ed Owens would not comment on the continuance, only to say that prosecutors were in joint agreement with the defense on the trial date move.