Murder-For-Hire Trial Ends In Guilty Verdict -- `Enjoy Your Stay,' Detective Yells To Hit Man

EVERETT - A jury decided yesterday that a convicted killer told the truth and that an accused killer lied when testifying about the contract slaying of a Bothell man Feb. 4.

The Snohomish County Superior Court jury pronounced Jonathan Curtis, 46, of Arizona guilty of aggravated first-degree murder in the death of Steven Ver Woert.

"Justice was served, there is no question about that," Deputy Prosecutor Ed Stemler said after the verdict.

Ver Woert's former wife, who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in his death earlier this year, had testified that she hired Curtis to kill Ver Woert for a $25,000 payoff from his life insurance. Curtis testified that he only helped the woman, Marty Malone, drive from Arizona to Washington to take care of some "business."

A Bothell detective, Ed Hopkins, cracked the case when he convinced Malone he was on her side, and she confessed to the murder-for-hire scheme as he secretly recorded it under a court-approved wiretap.

"Enjoy your stay, Mr. Curtis," Hopkins called as guards led Curtis down the hallway toward the Snohomish County Jail.

"Go to hell," Curtis bit back. It was his only departure from a tight-lipped straight face after the verdict was read.

Jurors said there was no single smoking gun that convinced them of Curtis' guilt. The defendant's own testimony apparently hurt him.

It was "very inconsistent and lacked details," one woman said.

The case was riddled with tales of double-crosses. Prosecutors said that Malone had asked others to kill Ver Woert before Curtis agreed and that he had tried once before and failed.

Malone also tried to hire Hopkins to kill Curtis, and Curtis tried to hire someone from jail to have Malone killed, prosecutors said.

Ver Woert was an employee at Sprint in Redmond, and was described as a man everyone liked and a "genuis" at developing cellular-phone technology.

Jim Townsend, the county's chief criminal deputy prosecutor, asked Judge Richard Thorpe to set the sentencing date as soon as possible for the sake of Ver Woert's family. It was scheduled for Jan. 21.

But the sentence is not in question. Because prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, the only judgment possible is life in prison.

Prosecutors are expected to recommend that Malone serve 23 years in prison for her role in the crime. No sentencing date has been set.

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