25-Year-Old Man Arrested for Alleged Double Homicide in Washington State

A 25-year-old man from Washington state has been arrested for allegedly executing two individuals in a shocking incident that took place in the middle of the street. The victims, 23-year-old Kiara Morgan-Weiland and 37-year-old Colton Russell, were both suspects in the disappearance of a 49-year-old woman, Jannell Martensen, who has been missing since last month and is presumed dead.

The suspect, identified as Brandon Lee Kenny, was taken into custody on Saturday and has been charged with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder. Court documents reviewed by Law&Crime reveal the details of the case.

Russell and Morgan-Weiland were both linked to the disappearance of Martensen, who happened to be Russell’s ex-girlfriend, according to authorities.

On December 8th, at approximately 11:16 p.m., officers from the Spokane Police Department responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting at the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and Cuba Street in east Spokane, Washington. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots, with some mentioning the presence of a female lying in the street.

Upon arrival at the scene, first responders discovered Russell’s lifeless body in the driver’s seat of a silver minivan. He appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on-site.

In close proximity to the van, Morgan-Weiland was found lying in the street. She had suffered multiple stab wounds and was also pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy revealed that Russell had been shot six times, while Morgan-Weiland had endured approximately 51 separate stab wounds, with 11-12 of them penetrating vital organs such as the lungs, heart, and liver, as stated in the affidavit.

Authorities discovered blue pills suspected to be fentanyl inside the van, along with bags of McDonald’s food that appeared to be recently purchased, indicating that the incident took place shortly after a meal.

Surveillance footage from a nearby McDonald’s showed Russell in the driver’s seat of the van at around 9:15 p.m., accompanied by another male passenger, believed to be Kenny, and Morgan-Weiland in the back. Additional surveillance footage from the Park Lane Motel, where Russell had been staying, captured Kenny entering the van with Russell and Morgan-Weiland at approximately 9 p.m. that evening.

Police analyzed security camera footage from a nearby home, which revealed that moments before the shooting occurred, a man, believed to be Kenny, approached the van. He opened the door and proceeded to fire shots towards the driver’s side. Approximately two minutes later, Morgan-Weiland can be seen attempting to flee from Kenny but ultimately collapsing on the ground.

Investigators successfully identified and located Kenny approximately one week after the incident, leading to his arrest. During subsequent interviews with detectives, Kenny allegedly confessed to the murders of both Russell and Morgan-Weiland. He claimed that his actions were motivated by Russell’s alleged involvement in the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Martensen, and his fear of Russell’s size and the overall situation.

According to the affidavit, Kenny revealed that he shot Russell with a 9mm handgun until the weapon was empty. He then proceeded to fatally stab Morgan-Weiland multiple times. This information had not been publicly disclosed at the time of the interview.

“The defendant stated that he had visited Russell’s house the previous month and found Russell crying on the couch. Morgan-Weiland was present in the house at the time,” the affidavit states. “Russell informed the defendant that he had accidentally killed Martensen. Subsequently, Russell placed a pistol in the defendant’s mouth and threatened to kill him unless he assisted in moving Martensen’s body. The defendant complied and helped transport Martensen’s body, placing it in the back of Russell’s pickup truck.”

Kenny alleged that on the night of the shootings, he, Russell, Morgan-Weiland, and another individual parked their vehicle in the vicinity of Cleveland Avenue and Cuba Street. Kenny’s purpose was to meet his drug dealer. While they were parked, Russell expressed concern that Kenny might report the situation involving Martensen to the police.

“The defendant stated that it was at that moment he decided to kill Russell,” the affidavit revealed.

Kenny stated that his drug dealer picked him up to facilitate a drug transaction. Afterward, he returned to the van, opened the door, and discharged his firearm at Russell. He then used his pocket knife to stab Morgan-Weiland.

“He claimed that he needed to kill Morgan-Weiland because she was the only other person aware of the situation with Martensen and had made it clear that she would support Russell,” the document states. “The defendant stated that Morgan-Weiland exited the van and attempted to escape before falling. He ensured that she was deceased.”

Kenny is currently held at Spokane County Jail on a bond of $1 million. According to records, his first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday.

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