Man convicted of 1987 Spokane murder could be released as an old man under state resentencing rules

A 57-year-old man serving a 37-year life sentence for a murder and rape in Spokane could breathe free air in his 70s after a judge resentenced him Thursday.

Daniel D. Edwards pleaded guilty in 1987 to shooting his friend, 19-year-old Kipper “Kip” McKenna, and then raping McKenna's 18-year-old girlfriend after Edwards asked the couple to give him a ride home from a party, according to a spokesman -Review reporting.

Edwards, who was 20 when he killed McKenna, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to aggravated murder and rape to avoid the death penalty.

In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that 18- to 20-year-olds cannot automatically be sentenced to life in prison for murder. This year, the state Supreme Court found that state courts can impose fixed sentences for this age group convicted of Edwards' murder charge.

On Thursday, Spokane County Superior Court Annette Plese resentenced Edwards, who appeared via Zoom from state prison, to 60 years in prison with credit for time served.

Plese said Edwards has shown “some” commitment to change during his time in prison.

If he serves the remaining 23 years, he will be around 80 years old when he is released.

After Edwards fired his .357-caliber revolver at McKenna's head in Beacon Hill on July 15, 1987, he ordered the woman to undress and get into the back seat of the car she was driving, the newspaper reported. Prosecutors said he raped her there.

Edwards then dragged McKenna's body about 40 feet into the bushes and left it lying there, police said.

Edwards took about $10 from McKenna's wallet. As they drove out of the area, Edwards allegedly had the woman stop at a convenience store so he could buy two cans of soda. Edwards later returned to the party and confessed to those who remained behind.

Edwards had been arrested the previous month, in June 1987, on suspicion of second- and third-degree rape of a 15-year-old girl who was his friend, The Spokesman-Review reported. He was released on his own recognizance on the day of his arrest.

Edwards had to abide by conditions of release, such as reporting to correctional officers weekly and adhering to a 10 p.m. curfew. He was also not allowed to take drugs, drink alcohol or use dangerous weapons.

Before his arrest in June, Edwards was convicted of at least four felonies and two misdemeanors while he was a minor. The crimes included three convictions for second-degree burglary, one motor vehicle and misdemeanor marijuana-related charges, and another for simple assault.

The families of the two victims appeared in court and on Zoom on Thursday for the resentencing.

William McKenna, Kipper McKenna's father, who flew in from Arizona to attend the hearing, said Edwards was an adult when he committed the crimes and not a “juvenile delinquent” as the courts viewed him.

“Danny Edwards doesn’t need to go back on the road,” said William McKenna. “He’s a predator.”

William McKenna read a statement from Diane Hanson, the mother of his ex-wife and son.

Hanson wrote that she believed that incident was behind her and that she felt shock, anger and then fear when she heard that Edwards could be retried and released.

“Daniel Edwards was a monster who murdered my son 37 years ago,” she wrote. “How can you change that sentence?”

She feared that Edwards had not changed and would harm others if he was released. She also wrote that her family's grief was devastating and that her other son became an alcoholic and killed himself because of the murder.

Family members of the woman who was raped also contacted Plese and said Edwards showed no remorse and could take revenge on the families.

“This is a nightmare that no one wants to relive,” said a family member.

Spokane County Assistant District Attorney Sharon Hedlund asked Plese to impose the already set sentence of life in prison or at least 50 years in prison with credit for time served.

“It's extremely difficult to give a number that you think is appropriate,” Hedlund said.

She said Edwards violated his release conditions on the night of the murder and rape and had a previous conviction. She said he had a list of infractions during his time in prison, such as threats against guards, but no serious assaults on other prisoners.

“He showed a predisposition to criminal activity,” she said.

Hedlund said Edwards executed McKenna for raping the woman, exactly the type of offense that requires life without parole.

Edwards' attorney, Katharine Allison, asked Plese to reflect on Edwards' “impulsivity” at his young age of 20. She said Edwards' decision to plead guilty to the crimes a month after they occurred was an example of his recklessness and impulsiveness.

She claimed Edwards was suicidal and had planned to take his own life that night.

“That was one shot, a terrible but impulsive decision, followed by another terrible, impulsive decision to rape (the victim),” Allison said.

She said Edwards has been working on himself in prison, will not reoffend in part because of his age and will not return to Spokane upon his release.

Allison called on Plese to release Edwards immediately, or at least release him within a maximum of three years.

Edwards admitted he was a “monster” at the time and apologized to the families.

He said he understands that his actions in 1987 continue to harm the victims' families today. He said it hurts him to think of the families' anger toward him over the decades because that anger was toxic to themselves.

“Don’t scare yourself with this anger toward me,” he said.