An 18-year-old Kent man pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and firearm enhancements in the shooting of a 13-year-old Kent boy at a city park.
Faysal Abdullahi entered his plea Monday, Aug. 5 in King County Superior Court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. He is scheduled to return to court for a hearing on Aug. 19. He remains in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle with bail set at $2 million, according to jail records.
Abdullahi is the first of four males charged in the July 16 killing of Matthiew Stavkoviy, who died of a gunshot wound to his back in the incident near Turnkey Park, 23300 100th Ave. SE.
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Judge Paul Crisalli granted a request by defense attorney James Curtis to restrict the media from showing Abdullahi’s face during the arraignment despite objections from the media, according to court documents.
King County prosecutors requested that the case designation be changed from Kent to the King County Courthouse in Seattle, which the judge granted.
The three others charged in the case are scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 12. They each face first-degree murder and first-degree robbery charges.
Brothers Diaviante Dunmore, 20, and Marsais Dunmore, 16, are each being held on $2 million bail. Prosecutors decided to charge Marsais Dunmore as an adult, which is allowed under state law when a juvenile age 16 or 17 commits a felony. Marsais Dunmore, who reportedly fired the shot that killed Matthiew, also faces a second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm charge because he is under 18.
Semarias Woods, 17, of Kent, also is being charged as an adult. All three are in custody, with Diaviante Dunmore at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle while the other two are at the juvenile detention center in Seattle.
According to charging papers, Abdullahi reportedly arranged through OfferUp, an app for selling items, to meet a friend of Matthiew’s who was selling camera equipment, and to rob him of the camera gear. Diaviante Dunmore reportedly joined Abdullahi at Turnkey Park to make the deal and Marsais Dunmore allegedly showed up with a gun.
Woods reportedly served as the getaway driver and parked in an apartment complex near the park, according to charging documents. Kent Police eventually tracked down all four males and arrested them.
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