Briefly

Arraignment planned in murder case

Randall Edward Connor, the man charged with first-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of a Kent woman last year, is scheduled to be arraigned 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Connor, 28, who once lived in SeaTac, waived extradition proceedings two weeks ago in California, where he was in prison for a parole violation on an armed robbery conviction. Connor was booked April 8 in the King County Jail in Seattle with bail set at $2 million.

King County prosecutors charged Connor with first-degree murder March 25 in connection with the death of Merianne Lorentson, 24. Lorentson, a single mother of a then 5-year-old daughter, was found March 9, 2007 stabbed to death in the living room of her East Hill apartment in the 10400 block of Kent-Kangley Road. Connor had dated Lorentson.

Over the past year, Kent detectives used DNA test results, cell phone records and interviews with friends and relatives of Connor and Lorentson to build their case against Connor.

If convicted, Connor faces a sentence of 23 to 28 years in prison.

Kent man enters plea in murder case

Joseph Njonge, 24, of Kent, pleaded not guilty in King County Superior Court Thursday in Kent to first-degree murder charges in connection with the March 19 death of a 75-year-old Federal Way woman.

King County prosecutors filed murder charges April 8 against Njonge. Njonge remains in the King County Jail in Seattle in lieu of $1 million bail.

Relatives found Jane Britt, of Federal Way, dead in the trunk of her car parked at the Garden Terrace Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, where she had visited her husband. Britt had been beaten and strangled.

Prosecutors alleged in the charging papers that DNA testing showed skin cells from Njonge, who worked as a nursing assistant at Garden Terrace Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence, were found under Britt’s fingernails. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office discovered defensive wounds on Britt’s hands that indicated she had struggled with her attacker.

Federal Way Police arrested Njonge April 3 at the nursing home. Police found a Costco card belonging to Britt’s husband in Njonge’s wallet.

Njonge is slated to return to court for a case setting hearing April 30, when a trial date could be set or attorneys from either side could ask for a rescheduled hearing.

If convicted, Njonge could face 20 to 26 years in prison.

Apartment fire contained to balcony

A 911 call from a resident passing by an apartment balcony fire at 3:50 a.m. Friday in Kent helped the Kent Fire Department keep the fire from spreading into the apartment.

The caller told 911 that smoke and flames were coming from a third floor balcony at the Waterford Apartments, 23300 61st Ave. S., according to a Kent Fire Department media release.

Firefighters arrived at the apartment complex and also spotted smoke and flames before they quickly extinguished the fire.

Firefighters checked at the third-floor apartment and determined the fire had been contained to the balcony.

There were no injuries in the fire.

Investigators determined a discarded cigarette placed too closely to combustible material on the balcony was the cause of the blaze.

Cigarettes should be discarded into a non-combustible container filled with sand or water, according to the fire department.