$100,000 Paid in Murder Committed by Negligently Supervised WA Parolee
Dexter Villa was shot in the head and killed by Washington parolee Nathan Brightman. Villa's wife filed suit in Pierce county superior court alleging the Washington Department of Corrections failed to implement and enforce an
appropriate parole plan to protect the public from Brightman and that the Pierce County sheriff's office failed to investigate complaints by Brightman's neighbors that he was committing crimes prior to the shooting.
On February 12, 2002, the court approved a $100,000 settlement to dismiss the suit. Villa's estate was represented by John Messina of Messina and Bulzomi in Tacoma, Washington. Note that most Washington parole liability
murders settle for $2-4 million and jury verdicts have been substantially higher. See: Malone v. Brightman, Pierce County Superior Court, Case No. 01-2-12345-4.
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Related legal case
Malone v. Brightman
| Year | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Cite | Pierce County Superior Court, Case No. 01-2-12345- |
| Level | State Trial Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Attorney Fees | 0 |
| Damages | 100000 |
| Injunction Status | N/A |