Slaying of two draws lawsuit

By Jim Haley

Herald Writer

The parents of two young men who were gunned down as they left an arranged fistfight three years ago have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the teen who pulled the trigger, his father and several others.

The civil lawsuit was filed in Snohomish County Superior Court on behalf of Sonny and Mary Thompson and Kenneth and Donna Stoner, whose sons were in the back seat of a car driving away from the fight. Unspecified damages are sought.

Killed were Jason Thompson and Jesse Stoner, both 18, of Everett, on May 30, 2000.

Among those facing civil liability are Dennis Cramm, who was 17 when he fired a semi-automatic AK-47 rifle through the car in which Thompson and Stoner were riding. He's serving 60 years in prison for two first-degree murder convictions.

His father, Dale Brian Cramm, also is named as a defendant because he allegedly allowed somebody else to supply his son with the murder weapon, according to the lawsuit.

In a related matter, the Seattle attorney who filed the lawsuit has asked the state Supreme Court to review a Snohomish County court decision that let the Cramm insurance company off the hook for any liability.

Cramm had a homeowner's insurance policy from Farmers Insurance Co. of Washington. The policy had a clause excluding coverage of intentional acts that cause harm to others. In November, a judge ruled Farmers could not be held liable in the deaths.

Lawyer Franklin Shoichet wants the high court to take the appeal and reverse that decision. He said the issue is of public importance because Farmers and another insurance company, Safeco, have similar clauses. They hold a high percentage of the homeowner policies in Washington, Shoichet said.

The lawsuit against the Cramms was filed last week, just eight days before the third anniversary of the deaths.

Shoichet said he was forced to file now, just before the statute of limitations was about to run out. He also filed against "anyone who did anything that was intentional, negligent or reckless," such as spreading a stash of guns out in hiding places on Cramm property near where the fight was scheduled.

Other defendants include John Jauregui, who was sentenced to a year in jail for the felony crime of riot. He admitted he traded shots with another man that night. He also hid the murder weapon after the shooting, and eventually led police to it.

Other defendants include Nathaniel Metz and Daniel Woodall, who allegedly helped Dennis Cramm get a gun, John Jauregui's unnamed parents and 10 other unnamed people.