Spokane man found guilty of murdering Moses Lake teen

SPOKANE — A Spokane man has been found guilty of murdering Moses Lake teenager Ceasar Medina in a robbery attempt at a Spokane business in 2015.

Jeremiah Smith was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm on Thursday following a bench trial in Spokane County Superior Court. A sentencing date has been scheduled for July 12.

“Smith was acquitted on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and witness tampering. Because of prior felony convictions, the new convictions are considered a ‘third strike’ under state law, and the only sentence available is life without the possibility of parole,” reads a press release from the office of state Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley.

Medina, 17, was shot and killed by Smith during an attempted robbery at Northwest Accessories in Spokane in May 2015. Smith was released from a correctional facility 12 days before Medina’s death, despite still having three more months to serve on his sentence. The issue with Smith stems from the sentence he was supposed to still be serving at the time of the Medina murder.

In July 2002 a state Supreme Court ruling required the Department of Corrections (DOC) to apply ‘good time’ credits earned in county jail to state prison sentences. The DOC changed it’s system to comply with the ruling, but it was later learned the fix over credited good time for offenders with sentencing enhancements, like Smith. Gov. Jay Inslee’s office previously stated that as many as 3,200 offenders were inadvertently released early over the 13-year time period.

“I can understand the sensitivity, but public safety is at stake. We’ve gotten lip service and half-measures. Today’s (Thursday’s) conviction for Jeremiah Smith is a demonstration of the deadly consequences of inaction, and a reminder that important reforms have been left undone.”

Smith was one of two state inmates who were released early from prison and went on to be responsible for the death of another person. Robert Terrance Jackson was released six months early from prison in 2015 and was involved in a vehicle accident as he was driving while intoxicated. The accident took the life of his girlfriend and Jackson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2016.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.