18-year prison sentence in Sundberg homicide
Richard Byrd/Columbia Basin Herald Julio Albarran Varona sits in Grant County Superior Court on Monday.
EPHRATA — “You are a sick and horrible human being. You have proved that you are pure evil,” Janet Sundberg told one of the men who participated in the death of her daughter Jill over two years ago. “You treated her as if she was nothing. But you are so wrong.”
27-year-old Julio Ceasar Albarran Varona sat quietly and stone-faced in his chair Monday afternoon in Grant County Superior Court, rarely glancing up, even as Janet Sundberg addressed the court and tears started to flow. He declined to address the court to offer his condolences to Sundberg’s family directly and instead allowed his defense attorney to speak on his behalf, who said his client has been remorseful for his actions since the incident took place.
Albarran Varona was in court on Monday for a ruling on a plea deal offered by the state, which involved the defendant entering a guilty plea to second-degree murder in connection with the December 2016 homicide of Quincy resident Jill Sundberg, with an agreed sentencing recommendation of 220 months, a little over 18 years, in prison. Judge David Estudillo accepted the plea agreement and followed the sentencing recommendation. Albarran Varona will be required to testify against all co-defendants in the Sundberg case, as well as the defendants who are currently charged in connection with a December 2016 murder/shooting near Royal City.
In the Sundberg matter Albarran Varona was initially charged with first-degree murder, with aggravating circumstances of armed with a firearm, acting with deliberate cruelty, drive-by shooting and kidnapping, and, in the lesser, second-degree murder.
Albarran Varona was present at Sundberg’s execution-style murder, along with a man named Ambrosio Mendez Villanueva and two material witnesses, 25-year-old Fernando Marcos Gutierrez and 26-year-old Salvador Espinoza Gomez, when 40-year-old Gustavo Tapia Rodriguez reportedly shot the woman over a dozen times. Tapia Rodriguez, Mendez Villanueva and Albarran Varona were charged with murder and Mendez Villanueva was previously sentenced to a little over 18 years in prison.
In the Royal City incident, which occurred two weeks before the Sundberg homicide, Tapia Rodriguez, Marcos Gutierrez and Albarran Varona tracked down 28-year-old Arturo Sosa, who was traveling to work with friend, on SR-26 near Royal City. The suspects were able to get the victim vehicle to pull over and Tapia Rodriguez and Albarran Varona later got into the victim vehicle and Albarran Varona started driving. At some point in the drive an altercation between the victims and suspects ensued, which ended with Tapia Rodriguez shooting and killing Sosa. The other victim was shot as well, but went on to survive the wound.
Investigators were able to lift Tapia Rodriguez’s fingerprint, along with Marcos Gutierrez’s DNA, off of the victim vehicle and they have since been charged with murder, assault and kidnapping. The problem with the Sosa case is that aside from Albarran Varona’s own declaration, the state does not have independent evidence that proves he participated in the murder.
Prosecutors contend they have a weak case against both Tapia Rodriguez and Marcos Gutierrez in the Sosa case without Albarran Varona’s testimony, which the state says allows them to pursue a case against Marcos Gutierrez, “who would otherwise walk,” and gives them “additional testimony and assurance” in the Sundberg matter, according to a memorandum filed by state.
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