Arizona man sentenced for unlawful gun possession

MOSES LAKE — An Arizona man who made comments about killing his ailing father and then himself was sentenced to a total of two days in jail for unlawful gun possession.

Kerry Graham, 66, pleaded guilty in Grant County Superior Court to unlawful possession of a loaded rifle or shotgun in a vehicle and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with 88 days suspended for one year. Graham was initially charged with harassment (threats) to kill, with an allegation of domestic violence, but the charge was amended in a plea agreement.

The sentence relates to a Moses Lake Police Department investigation in early April after the department received a tip with regard to a male from Arizona, Graham, possibly intending to drive to Moses Lake to kill his father and himself, according to court documents.

Graham’s brother told investigators Kerry had been depressed and was having medical issues. Their elderly father, who was at an assisted living facility on South Pioneer Way in Moses Lake, was reportedly in declining health and Graham’s brother said Kerry told several of his neighbors in Arizona he was going to drive to Moses Lake and “take care of Dad” then “take care of himself.”

Graham left Arizona on a Saturday and, according to his brother, was in Nevada and still heading to Moses Lake on Sunday. Police responded to the care facility, which had already increased its security after receiving word of Graham’s possible intentions, and as MLPD officers approached the facility another MLPD officer made a traffic stop at South Pioneer Way and East Olive Avenue, near the care facility. The person who was pulled over happened to be Graham and he was taken into custody. Due to a lack of information with regard to how Graham planned to kill his father, police decided to take him to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

Officers went on to remove a .380 pistol, a .44 Magnum loaded with six bullets, and a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with five shotgun shells from Graham’s truck. The people who heard Graham make the comments about killing his dad and himself later contacted police and reaffirmed what Graham’s brother told officers.

“The neighbors agreed the method on how to end it was vague but they all interpreted it as Kerry was going to kill (his father) then commit suicide. The fact Kerry showed up to (his father’s) nursing home with firearms in the truck appears to have confirmed the threats made by Kerry about his desire to kill (his father),” wrote an MLPD officer.

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