The man responsible for the 2012 Christmas Eve shooting death of DeShawn Milliken at the former Munchbar nightclub in Bellevue pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of second-degree murder.
Ja’Mari Jones shot Milliken multiple times inside the night club, killing the 30-year-old Renton man. Milliken and his sister, Destiny, were standing near Jones in the club, when court documents state Milliken tackled his murderer. A friend of Jones’ reportedly intervened. It was at this point that Jones pulled out a handgun and shot Milliken several times in the back, his sister and another patron also being struck during the shooting.
Jones, who was 19 at the time, was later apprehended in a stolen vehicle, along with his 20-year-old girlfriend, and charged with second-degree murder. Munchbar closed shortly after.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office is recommending a prison sentence of 18 1/2 years. Jones is set to be sentenced at 1 p.m. Jan. 9 in King County Superior Court.
Jones previously served less than a year in juvenile detention for his part in the 2008 beating death of Ed “Tuba Man” McMichael, a Seattle street musician, in 2008.