The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that a man, Mikey Diamond Starrett from Olympia, Washington, also known as Michael Jason Layes, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for carrying out multiple arson attacks and a shooting spree at Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls in 2018. Starrett pleaded guilty to four counts of damage to religious property and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence in May. Following his jail sentence, he will be under three years of supervised release for federal civil rights and firearms offenses, and he was ordered to pay over $714,600 in restitution to the Kingdom Halls.
According to court records, Starrett damaged three Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls in Tumwater, Olympia, and Yelm, causing more than $700,000 in damages. The DOJ stated that the attacks caused fear and anguish among the members of the community. Starrett committed arson at the Tumwater and Olympia Kingdom Halls on March 19, 2018, and later burned down the Olympia Kingdom Hall completely on July 3, 2018.
Additionally, he shot rounds from a rifle into the Yelm Kingdom Hall on May 15, 2018. The DOJ did not specify if these incidents resulted in any injuries. Starrett admitted in a plea deal that he targeted the Kingdom Halls due to their “religious character.”
U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman condemned Starrett’s attacks, stating that they caused “severe” and “permanent harm” to the Jehovah’s Witness community in Washington state. Prosecutors described the attacks as “premeditated” and highlighted that Starrett disregarded the safety of the Kingdom Halls, congregants, first responders, and the surrounding area during the attacks.
During the sentencing hearing, a spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witness community read statements detailing the fear and anxiety experienced by community members following Starrett’s attacks. Community members expressed concerns about the safety of their meetings and feared potential future attacks.
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