The jury has found three men guilty of killing a family in Washington state in 2017. Danie Kelly, Jr., Robert Watson III, and Watson’s younger brother, Johnny Watson, were convicted of four counts of premeditated first-degree murder, four counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and first-degree arson. The victims, Christale Careaga, 37, Hunter Schaap, and Johnathon Higgins, both 16, were found dead inside their burned home on the Kitsap Peninsula, while the remains of John Careaga, 43, were found in a scorched truck at a tree farm in Mason County. The Careagas owned a successful Mexican restaurant in Bremerton, and John Careaga was involved in drug trafficking, bringing cocaine from California to sell locally.
The crimes were allegedly motivated by drugs and money. John Careaga had a close friend who sold cocaine to Robert Watson, a leader in a local chapter of the Bandidos motorcycle club. However, the killings were not related to the club. After Careaga’s friend stopped selling the drugs, tensions escalated between Careaga and Watson, leading to the day of the homicides. Investigators also discovered that Careaga had hidden a significant amount of money under his home, which was never found. Robert Watson, an employee of Kitsap County Public Works, was fired in September 2017 after large sums of money were deposited into his accounts that year, with many unidentifiable cash deposits.
Another defendant, Danie Kelly, was associated with the Bandidos as a “hang-around” and had a falling out with Careaga before the murders. A neighbor of the Careaga family heard gunshots and saw Careaga’s truck speeding away on the day of the killings, with Kelly at the wheel and another car following closely behind. During the jury trial, defense attorneys attempted to cast doubt on the timeline and cell phone tower data used to track the defendants’ movements. They also argued that there was no evidence of anything being stolen from the Careaga home, suggesting that the motive may have been solely related to the drug trade.
The trial lasted for months, with witnesses testifying about the events leading up to and following the murders. The guilty verdicts for all three defendants brought some closure to the family and friends of the victims. The Careaga family’s successful restaurant business in Bremerton was left devastated by the loss, but the community rallied around them in support. The prosecution presented a strong case linking the defendants to the crimes, emphasizing the financial motivations and personal relationships that led to the tragic outcome. The sentencing phase of the trial will determine the fate of the three convicted men, with potential implications for their futures as well as the families of the victims.
