Drunk driver who killed two teens denied work release following families’ pleas
Dec 12, 2014, 12:34 PM | Updated: 1:51 pm
A convicted drunk driver who killed two Federal
Way teens has been denied work release after an outpouring of opposition from the victims’ friends and families.
Alexander Peder, 50, was originally sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for the June 2010 crash that killed Federal Way high school seniors Derek King and Nick Hodgins, and seriously injured their friend, Anthony Beaver.
The sentence included a two year “enhancement” for a prior DUI that had been reduced to a lesser charge. But the state Supreme Court ruled last December the enhancement was improper and reduced the sentence by two years.
Under sentencing guidelines, Peder is eligible for release as early as June 7, 2015, and state guidelines allowed him to be considered for work release six months prior.
But family and friends of the victims objected, arguing Peder should spend as much time behind bars as possible.
“It hurts us that he can go and visit his family and we can’t visit with ours because that can no longer happen,” said Randall King, 18-year-old Derek’s father, in an interview with KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show.
King launched a widespread effort aimed at convincing the Department of Corrections to deny Peder’s work release and keep him in prison for his full sentence, including an appearance on The Dori Monson Show that led to a number of people reaching out to DOC.
After reviewing the case, a DOC committee late last month denied the work release.
“The Department of Corrections considers many factors when approving an offender for work release, including their risk level and custody level as well as any victim or community concerns and safety concerns for the offender,” said DOC spokesperson Norah West in an email.
The DOC has no say in sentence length and is only responsible for carrying out the terms of a sentence and supervision after release.
While it strives to help offenders find employment and transition back into the community, sometimes added external pressure, such as intense public scrutiny, can impede that success, West said.
King praises DOC for taking the families’ concerns into consideration.
“They asked for our input on what we thought of him going out on work release. They didn’t have to do that,” King said. “They received emails from all around the nation from friends of Nick, friends of Derek, and friends of Anthony who sent emails as well.”
In all, DOC received a few dozen emails and a number of phone calls, according to West, which were considered in the decision.
While King laments the short length of Peder’s sentence, he said the case did lead to some positive changes he clings to, including stiffened DUI penalties and The Nick and Derek Project, which helped put more DUI patrols on state roads.
Peder remains in the Twin Rivers Unit of the Monroe Correctional Complex.
Peder and the victim’s families appeared in a video in 2011, produced by the Washington State Patrol, to raise awareness of the dangers and impacts of drunk driving:
