PORT HADLOCK — In a surprise move, Ryan Neil Sorensen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to gunning down his former father-in-law, tow truck operator Frank M. “Skip” Smith Jr., in April.
Sorensen, 31, confessed to five felonies, including first-degree murder, in Jefferson County Superior Court on Tuesday, less than two weeks before his jury trial was set to begin.
Smith’s family was happy at hearing the news.
“The only comment we have is that the family is extremely relieved,” Smith’s widow, Judy-Kay, said Tuesday.
Prosecuting Attorney Juelie Dalzell said the unusual change of plea was “pretty spontaneous.”
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The rest of the story appears in Wednesday’s Peninsula Daily News.