SPOKANE, Wash. – A hearing was held this morning after Representative Matt Shea’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against him by Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Travis Pendell.
Pendell is suing for defamation after Shea claimed on a podcast that the gun Roy Murry used in a triple murder in Colbert could be traced back to Deputy Pendell.
The lawsuit alleges that Shea knew his conduct was negligent and malicious and would result in damage to Pendell.
— Lindsay Nadrich (@KREMLindsay) May 26, 2017
Both Pendell and Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich called the accusation a lie.
“When those statements were made, those alleged defamatory statements made, Sheriff Ozzie Knezocivh was the one who made the statements to the effect in the media that there should be a lawsuit and that the republican party should disassociate themselves from representative Shea,” said Deputy Pendell’s attorney.
The gun used in the murders of Murry’s ex-wife’s mother, stepfather and brother has never been found.
The motion for dismissal claimed Representative Shea cannot be sued while legislature is in session.
“Any member of the legislature during session is not subject to civil process and it says any civil process,” said Shea’s attorney, Marshall Casey.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Moreno ultimately decided not to dismiss the lawsuit. Moreno said once the legislative session is finished, the lawsuit will continue.