Murderer Re-Sentences After 2021 Supreme Court Ruling

Pehl grew up in Colville until the age of nine and attended Colville High School for a year before finishing his education in Spokane, according to the obituary provided to the Associated Press.

Judge Dean Chuang made the decision to uphold Crenshaw’s original sentence after hearing testimonies from more than 30 family members and friends of the two victims. Crenshaw was resentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Additional statements were received by Chuang from Crenshaw himself, his mother, and his fiancée, along with testimonies from a psychiatrist and a representative from the Department of Corrections (DOC).

Crenshaw, who was noted to be an acquaintance of the victims by the victim’s families, killed Pehl and Clark, stabbing Pehl 14 times and Clark 26, before posing their bodies with swords and setting the house where the killings took place on fire, according to court documents. The house on Elm Street in Spokane was the Pehl’s family home. When investigating the case, law enforcement noted a bloody fingerprint that eventually tied Crenshaw to the crime. Tanner's loved ones say precious family mementos were used to stage the crime scene.

Tanner’s sister, Katie, said in a past interview, “Justin had ransacked the house, making it look like a robbery. Everything was in disarray. Our whole childhood was on the floor and there [were] blood and bloody footprints everywhere.” 

Crenshaw, who was 20 years old at the time of the crime, was convicted of the double murder and sentenced to life without parole in 2010. 

Eleven years after his sentencing, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled it “unconstitutional to impose a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole to anyone who committed aggravated murder between the ages of 18 and 21,” which prompted resentencing hearings across the state, including Crenshaw’s.

During the resentencing, Pehl’s and Clark’s loved ones relayed the lifelong effects they have experienced as a result of the killings, and added that releasing Crenshaw would be an issue of safety. The DOC representative told the court that Crenshaw had 18 infractions in the state prison system, including assault, rioting, participating in gang activity and more. Court documents also reported that Crenshaw has had six prison infractions in other states since his incarceration for the double murder, including the killing of a cellmate and the stabbing of another inmate.

Clark’s father implored the judge to uphold the original sentence, stating that none of the facts of the case had changed, and that Crenshaw had acted in a “premeditated, violent, and disgusting way” when he murdered Clark and Pehl. 

Pehl’s mother also spoke, stating that Crenshaw had “tortured” the two victims. 

After listening to the victim’s loved ones, Chuang concluded that Crenshaw exhibited “intentionality, cognitive reasoning, premeditation, and extreme violence” in the murders of Pehl and Clark. Although the 2021 court ruling noted “youthful behavior” as a reason not to impose life sentences for crimes committed by 18-21-year-olds, Chuang determined it not to be a factor in Crenshaw’s actions.  

The judge then resentenced Crenshaw to two life sentences without the possibility of parole to be served consecutively, during which Crenshaw made several outbursts, including cursing at the judge, calling his lawyer “ineffective,” and refusing to sign the resentencing documents. He also said he would appeal the resentencing.

Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam said the Prosecutor’s Office is extremely pleased with the outcome of the resentencing.