SPOKANE, Wash. – A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years in prison in connection to the killing of 22-year-old Ablos Kios last summer in north Spokane.
According to court documents, on Monday, Malachi Cook pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and conspiracy to commit first-degree assault.
The Spokane Medical Examiner said a single gunshot wound to Kios’ skull was the cause of his death. The Aug. 27, 2022, shooting at Franklin Park also left three injured, with two requiring surgeries.
Cook, Landen Galbreath and Nigel Neal, all 19 years old, were charged with second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault. 18-year-old Tayona C. Allen was charged with rendering criminal assistance, and a juvenile male was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm.
Neal pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit first-degree assault and rendering criminal assistance.
Court documents say Cook has no prior felonies.
Galbreath is set for a plea and sentencing on Monday, while Allen is scheduled for trial on Jan. 8.
Previous court documents detail that witnesses testified an altercation began when a man “inappropriately touched” an “incapacitated female” in a parked car at the park. An alleged theft of a vape pen also contributed to the altercation.
Three groups were involved. A group identified by witnesses as a group of “Pacific Islanders,” a group who was also initially at the park celebrating a birthday and a group that arrived in a BMW amid an altercation.
Prior to the third group’s arrival, a Pacific Islander was seen inappropriately touching an incapacitate girl, who was a part of birthday group. That incident caused a dispute, which escalated when a Pacific Islander accused the birthday group of stealing a vape pen.
The third group, which witnesses suggested were associated with the Crips gang, included Landen Galbreath. The three individuals in this group were wearing ski masks.
A witness said the Pacific Islanders rushed the third group’s vehicle and began arguing with them.
Kios, who was one of the Pacific Islanders, and Galbreath got into a “scuffle.” The witness testified Galbreath dodged a punch from Kios and then fired a gun at point blank range into Kios’s head.
A shootout ensued, at which point three people suffered gunshot wounds. Kios and two other victims were taken to Deaconess Medical Center.
An underaged witness testified she “believes the homicide was a retaliation for the sexual assault” on the underaged girl.
Four adult witnesses were not identified in the documents to protect their identities. SPD Detective Devin Presta believed they have legitimate reason to be concerned for their safety and verified at least one threat to a witness. According to court documents, Galbreath and others involved in the incident sought to coerce witnesses into giving false alibis.
A forensics specialist for the Washington State Patrol completed a DNA profile that connected Galbreath to a black ski mask collected at the scene.
