Brandon Gerner faces sentencing Thursday after being convicted of first- and second-degree murder in a Maple Valley double killing.
MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — A sentencing hearing is scheduled Thursday for Brandon Gerner following his conviction in a Maple Valley double killing.
In March, a jury found Gerner guilty of first- and second-degree murder in the 2023 deaths of Robert Leroy Frederick Riley and Ashley Nicole Williams.
Investigators say the killings happened the night of Nov. 15 and into the early morning hours of Nov. 16. According to court records, King County Sheriff’s Office detectives used Google location data to place Gerner, Joshua Jones, and Kody Olsen at the scene.
Court documents outline that Riley confronted the group near the property close to where he lived and was shot. While checking for security cameras, the group encountered Williams inside Riley’s trailer. Investigators say Gerner stabbed Williams multiple times before a knife broke, and Olsen shot her. Gerner denied stabbing Williams and claimed Olsen was responsible for both deaths, though detectives obtained a similar account from someone close to Olsen, indicating Gerner carried out the stabbing.
Records show Gerner expressed anger when asked about one of the victims and indicated regret over Williams’ death, stating she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Jones, identified as a co-defendant, pleaded guilty in 2025 to two counts of first-degree felony rendering criminal assistance. Court records show he admitted to helping conceal the killings but did not directly cause the deaths. Jones was sentenced in June 2025 to six years in prison.
Olsen died Dec. 16, 2023, after being shot by Pierce County deputies. Authorities say the shooting happened after Olsen allegedly wounded two deputies during a DUI traffic stop and a pursuit several days earlier.
Court documents also link Gerner to the shooting of a horse in Pierce County. The animal, named LeMon, was shot shortly after a vigil for Olsen and later died from its injuries. Investigators say witnesses reported Gerner described the act as a sacrifice following Olsen’s death. Gerner denied involvement in the animal’s killing.
KING 5’s Kipp Robertson and Dalton Day contributed to this report
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