Craig Sorger
Encyclopedia
The murder of Craig Sorger (February 10, 1990 — February 15, 2003) involved a teenager from Ephrata, Washington
who was brutally murdered by then-12-year-old playmates Evan Drake Savoie and Jake Lee Eakin.
and was a developmentally disabled teenager. Sorger was at home one night, when Savoie and Eakin asked his mother if he could come out to play. As night fell, Sorger's mother became worried because Sorger was afraid of the dark. When she found out that Savoie and Eakin had gone home hours earlier, she knew something was wrong. She was later informed that her son's body had been found near the area where the three children had been playing.
When police questioned Savoie and Eakin the night Sorger's body was discovered, each told a similar story. Savoie said Sorger fell while climbing a tree. Eakin said he and Savoie were on the same branch in the tree with Sorger when the fall occurred. The autopsy came in and proved differently.
Ephrata, Washington
Ephrata is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,808 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
who was brutally murdered by then-12-year-old playmates Evan Drake Savoie and Jake Lee Eakin.
The crime
Sorger had autismAutism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and was a developmentally disabled teenager. Sorger was at home one night, when Savoie and Eakin asked his mother if he could come out to play. As night fell, Sorger's mother became worried because Sorger was afraid of the dark. When she found out that Savoie and Eakin had gone home hours earlier, she knew something was wrong. She was later informed that her son's body had been found near the area where the three children had been playing.
When police questioned Savoie and Eakin the night Sorger's body was discovered, each told a similar story. Savoie said Sorger fell while climbing a tree. Eakin said he and Savoie were on the same branch in the tree with Sorger when the fall occurred. The autopsy came in and proved differently.
The autopsy
When Sorger's body was found, the autopsy reported that Sorger had been beaten approximately 16 times about the head and neck and stabbed 34 times in the same areas where he had been beaten. He had 8 stab wounds to his torso as well.The confession and trial
Although they both claimed innocence, they were charged with first degree murder. After changing his story in 2005, Eakin finally confessed to his role in the killing, pleading guilty to second-degree murder by complicity and was sentenced to 14 years and would be released in 2019. He then testified against Savoie, who maintained his innocence. On April 29, 2006, Savoie was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison and would possibly be released in 2032 — the maximum sentence that could be imposed. As Eakin and Savoie have turned 18 they have been transferred to adult prisons to serve the rest of their sentence.External links
- Jury convicts Ephrata teen of killing disabled playmate
- Teen murderer gets 26-plus years for killing playmate