Defense Attorney Natalie Tarantino sits with Defendant Richard Rotter during the sentencing hearing on Monday in Snohomish County Superior Court
Convicted Cop Killer Richard Rotter is headed to state prison after receiving the maximum sentence for killing Everett Police Officer Dan Rocha.
Rotter’s path of violence covers 12 felony convictions, a slew of arrests and a lifetime in and out of prison “The defendant has an extraordinary amount of criminal history” Prosecutor Craig Matheson told the court “It goes back well over 30 years.”
The 51 year old man was convicted earlier this month of killing Rocha during an arrest in a Starbucks parking lot over drugs and weapons.
“Each shot he fired caused a ripple and a tear through every persons life who met, cared for and loved Dan” his sisters pain cut life a knife, Morgan Henry “The defendants dedication to tarnish this world with his wickedness has come to an end at the cost of a man he has no soulful capacity to emulate.”
Rotter spent most of the proceeding looking down “My apologies to the Rocha family as well as to my family and everyone the tragedy has effected” but the convicted killer did address the court “I will continue to pray for everyone’s continued healing, I ask that you and everybody ‘Please Forgive me’.”
The crime sent shockwaves across Everett, Starbucks Barista Madelyn Cannon, who served Rocha for years, witnessed the shooting “Witnessing what Richard Rotter did took away my security, I fear the outside world.”
Rotter shot Rocha and then ran over his dying body as he fled the scene. “If the jurors watch the video closely” Judge Bruce Weiss was struck by the viciousness of the crime as he talked to the defendant about seeing the body camera video from the officers vest “You actually grabbed the vest and pulled him forward to shoot him in the heard.”
Richard Rotter received the maximum sentence: Life in Prison Without Parole.
