The Federal Way man who shot and killed another man at a Kent bus stop in 2021 was sentenced to a total of 275 months in prison, nearly 23 years.
On Jan. 24, at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, Corniche Washington, 35, was sentenced to 215 months for the second-degree murder of Antonio Wells, plus a mandatory 60 months for a firearm enhancement, to be followed by 36 months in community custody at release.
Washington’s defense argued he should receive an exceptional sentence — a term used for a sentence lower than the standard — of 120 months because of the context of what happened, and because he suffered from PTSD at the time of the killing. Washington’s standard sentencing range, including the added mandatory 60 months for firearm enhancement, was between 225 months to 325 months.
The killing of Antonio Wells occurred Nov. 26, 2021, on the west side of Pacific Highway at a bus stop just south of the Kent Des Moines Road intersection in Kent.
At the hearing, multiple family members of Wells gave a statement to the judge. Wells’ mother, Gloria Wells, said she never imagined she would be burying her son, and she feels like a piece of her is gone. Gloria Wells said her son was a father of six, and now the children have been left without a father who was very involved in their life.
Wells’ daughter, Tionzae Wells, said her father was an extraordinary parent, her guardian light and the closest person to her. She said her father’s Wisdom and love continue to inspire her.
“The news of his passing was devastating, leaving me feeling frozen and unable to breathe. But it has also reminded me of the incredible impact he had on my life,” Tionzae Wells said. “His passing has taken a piece of my heart with him, but it has also filled me with a sense of purpose of to honor his legacy.”
Washington gave a statement to the court, apologizing to everyone who was affected, and said he hoped he could be forgiven.
Two days prior to Antonio Wells’ killing, his sons had been shot by Washington after they had attempted to rob him, according to Washington’s defense. Although no criminal case ever arose from it, Washington said he felt troubled about shooting them when he found out how old they were.
“I had no intention on any of it happening. Me and Mr. Wells was friends before all this,” Washington said. “Never had a problem with him. So this is not something I’ll just be able to get over.”
Judge William Dixon told Washington that he appreciated that he took the opportunity to stand up and speak to the court. He said everyone has the right to say something, but not everyone takes him up on it.
“I want you to understand that, no matter what you’ve done in the past, there’s a tomorrow, there’s an opportunity, and you have other people in your life that are relying on you to make better decisions,” Dixon said.
Details of the crime
King County Prosecutor Jacqueline Lawrence said during trial that Washington shot Wells in the back, then shot him multiple times while he was on the ground, unlawfully killing him. The incident took place on Pacific Highway at a bus stop just south of Kent-Des Moines Road.
“Wells was ultimately shot while he was walking away. While Mr. Wells fell to the ground on that roadway in front of that bus stop, that man continued to advance upon him, continued to fire his weapon, shooting him as Mr. Wells was on the ground,” Lawrence said. “That man walked past the body of Mr. Antonio Wells Sr. as he lay dying on the street to take Mr. Wells’ black Cadillac Escalade and flee the area.”
She described how the events began when Wells approached Washington at the bus stop. Lawrence said that Wells and Washington knew each other and initially were cordial, but then a conflict arose, and Wells decided to leave the situation before conflict arose again.
An eyewitnesses saw Washington make some sort of comment, which prompted Wells to turn back around, to walk up to Washington and punch him one time in the face, Lawrence said. Lawrence said that Washington shot Wells, causing him to fall, and eyewitnesses would testify that Washington kept moving forward and continued firing.
Lawrence said Wells was shot in the back of the leg, in the back, and in the chest, and his wounds were so dire that no medical intervention could have saved him.
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