Murder of Craig Sorger
| Murder of Craig Sorger | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ephrata, Washington, U.S. |
| Date | February 15, 2003 |
Attack type | Murder by Beating and Stabbing |
| Weapons | A rock, knife and a stick |
| Victim | Craig Martin Sorger |
| Perpetrators | Evan Drake Savoie Jake Lee Eakin |
| Motive | Thrill killing |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Convictions | First-degree murder |
Craig Martin Sorger (February 10, 1990 - February 15, 2003) was a 13-year-old teenager from Ephrata, Washington who was tortured and murdered by his then-12-year-old tweenage friends and classmates Evan Drake Savoie (born October or November 1990) and Jake Lee Eakin (born November 14, 1990)[a].[1]
Murder[change | change source]
On the evening of February 15, 2003, Evan and Jake knocked on Craig's trailer's door and asked his mother if he could play with them. Craig convinced his mother to let him play with his friends and she decided to let him go. After they went to a nearby park, they played for a while. After a few minutes, Evan asked Craig to touch the grass and count to 10 and he did. While he was doing that, Evan grabbed a rock and threw it at Craig. He then began to beat and stab him. Jake joined the attack, by hitting Craig with a stick at his legs and head. They then left. Craig's best friend ran to him and tried to help him, Craig saw him and tried to tell him something, but died before doing so.[2]
Conviction and aftermath[change | change source]
They were arrested three days later[b][3] and in 2005 Jake was sentenced to 14 years in prison and in 2006 Evan was sentenced to 26 years in prison. In 2014 that was reduced to 20 years in prison.
They were the youngest murder defendants to be charged as adults in Washington state history.
Jake was released in February 2017 and claims to have been born again and is now an anti-abortion activist with a wife and two daughters. However, he was arrested two times after his release: One in 2018 for trespassing[4] and another one in 2022 for larceny.
Evan was released in February of 2023.
Notes[change | change source]
- ↑ In one of his Facebook accounts, he lists his birth date as on November 14, 1990.
- ↑ Jake has stated in one of his Facebook posts that him and Evan were arrested for Craig's murder 3 days after they did it.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Wright, Melodie (May 8, 2003). "Justice and remembrance". Kitsap Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- ↑ Writer, David Cole
Herald Staff (April 26, 2006). "Teen watched as best friend was murdered". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved May 29, 2024. - ↑ Cole, David (April 21, 2006). "Victim's mother: 'That's who did it'". Columbia Basin Herald. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
- ↑ Shugerman, Emily (February 2, 2019). "The Brutal Story of Jake Eakin, Child Murderer Turned Anti-Abortion Zealot". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 17, 2024.