Five years for Puyallup man who murdered his children
Feb 6, 2014, 4:50 PM | Updated: 5:09 pm
A Puyallup man who shot and killed his two adult children has been sentenced to five years behind bars.
Michael P. League, 69, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 46-year-old Dennis League and 43-year-old Danielle Faucett.
Early in the morning of March 24, 2013, League walked into his daughter’s bedroom, covered her head with a pillow, and shot her. He did the same to his son, who was asleep on the couch.
Minutes after the murders, League called 911 and told dispatchers that he had just committed “a father’s worst sin” and wanted to put his children “out of their misery.”
“The victims had a history of drug an alcohol abuse and had been stealing from the defendant for decades,” said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “Police had been to this house 167 times.”
While Deputy Prosecutor Stephen Penner recommended a mid-range sentence of 186 months on each count, the judge imposed a sentence of 60 months after League’s grandchildren asked for leniency on his behalf.
“Given all the circumstances, I think the judge appropriately balanced accountability and compassion,” Lindquist said.
