3 defendants plead not guilty in killing of 13-year-old Kent boy

Three more co-defendants pleaded not guilty to robbery and murder charges in the killing of a 13-year-old Kent boy.

Semarias Woods, 17, of Kent, and brothers Diaviante Dunmore, 20, and Marsais Dunmore, 16, each entered not guilty pleas to first-degree murder and first-degree robbery during their arraignments on Monday, Aug. 12 in King County Superior Court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Marsais Dunmore, who reportedly fired the shot July 16 that killed Matthiew Stavkoviy at Turnkey Park, 23300 100th Ave. SE, in Kent, also faces a second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm charge because he is under 18.

Faysal Abdullahi, 18, of Kent, the first of the four co-defendants charged in the case, entered his not guilty plea Aug. 5. He is scheduled to return to court for a hearing Aug. 19. The other three are scheduled to return to court Sept. 5.

All four co-defendants remain in custody, each with bail set at $2 million, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Abdullahi and Diaviante Dunmore are in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle, according to jail records. Woods and Marsais Dunmore are at the juvenile detention center in Seattle.

Despite their ages, prosecutors charged Woods and Marsais Dunmore as adults rather than juveniles, which is allowed under state law in felony cases.

Judge Paul Crisalli granted a request by prosecutors to move future hearings in the cases to the King County Courthouse in Seattle from the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Prosecutors asked for the change to Seattle because two of the co-defendants will continue to be housed at the county’s only juvenile detention facility, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The county has jails for adults in Kent and Seattle.

Crisalli also granted requests from defense attorneys to restrict the media from showing faces of the defendants during their arraignments, according to court documents. Defense attorneys often ask for a judge to only allow photos or video from the neck down to help preserve impartiality with a future juror. Judges vary about whether they grant the request.

According to charging papers, Abdullahi reportedly arranged through OfferUp, an app for selling items, to meet a friend of Matthiew’s who was selling camera equipment, and to rob him of the camera gear. Diaviante Dunmore reportedly joined Abdullahi at Turnkey Park to make the deal and Marsais Dunmore allegedly showed up with a gun and filed shots at Matthiew and his 15-year-old sister as they fled the scene on an ATV. One shot hit Matthiew and killed him, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Woods reportedly served as the getaway driver and parked in an apartment complex near the park, according to charging documents. Kent Police eventually tracked down all four males and arrested them.

Detectives used IP addresses from the OfferUp records and cellphone records to track down home addresses for Abdullahi in Kent and the two brothers. Detectives recovered some of the stolen camera equipment from Abdullahi’s residence.

Detectives also seized the vehicle reportedly used in the crime, which belonged to the father of the Dunmore brothers.

Woods came with his mother and a family friend to turn himself in at the Kent Police station, which marked the fourth and final arrest in the case.