EVERETT, Wash. — The man who murdered an Everett police officer in March 2022 was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday at the Snohomish County Courthouse.
Richard Rotter was convicted on April 3 of aggravated first-degree murder in the killing of Everett police officer Dan Rocha.
Rotter was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree and possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture. The prosecution added an additional charge of attempting to elude a police vehicle, for which he was also found guilty.
Due to the conviction of aggravated first-degree murder, Rotter was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. He received an additional 60 months in prison and 36 months of community custody for the additional charges.
The killing happened when Rocha confronted Rotter about moving guns between two vehicles outside a north Everett Starbucks. Rotter had traveled from the Tri-Cities to Everett where he planned to buy a car.
Rotter shot Rocha five times. Three of those shots came at point-blank range to the head. Rotter ran over Rocha with his car when he fled the scene.
During sentencing, Rocha's sister, Morgan, said the decision to take her brother's life was Rotter's alone.
"The shots he fired caused a ripple and tear through every person who met and loved Dan," she said.
Madeline Cannon was working at Starbucks at the time of the shooting. During the sentencing, she said that day changed her forever.
"He took away my safety, my security in the community," Cannon said. "It changed me as a wife and mother."
Rotter's cognitive capacity was central to his defense.
Rotter claimed to have a brain injury suffered in a car wreck in 1995 that put him in a coma for more than a week, along with multiple concussions from high school football and a head injury from a baseball bat.
Rotter was diagnosed with PTSD, depression and substance use disorder.
During the trial, Psychologist Dr. Wendi Wachsmuth confirmed those conditions. She testified Rotter was high at the time of the killing and could not have premeditated the murder.
Prosecutor Craig Matheson contended the five shots alone were evidence of premeditation.