PORT ANGELES – A Port Angeles man was sentenced to twelve and half years in prison after pleading guilty in a case related to a man who died of an overdose.
32-year-old Nathan Terry also entered an Alford plea to the crimes of Controlled Substances Homicide and Tampering with a Witness. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction.
The case began on April 30, 2020, when Port Angeles Police Officers were dispatched to a report of a male not breathing. It was determined the victim died of an overdose.
An investigation led to electronic correspondence that showed the victim had received the drugs through his sister who obtained them from Terry.
OPNET Detectives located the victim’s sister, Melissa Johnson, who admitted she had delivered the drugs to her brother and that she had gotten them from Terry. Melissa was later charged and pled guilty to third-degree assault.
While Terry awaited trial, detectives learned Terry’s alleged wife; Elisha Stark; had contacted Johnson to get her to change her statement. Detectives arrested Stark for witness tampering. The investigation revealed that Terry had sent a message to Stark through a former cellmate, instructing her to contact Johnson and persuade her to change her statement to police. Stark and Terry were subsequently charged with Witness Tampering.