Dec. 24—A man who shot an elderly couple to death in their farmhouse bedroom in January 1997 was resentenced last week to 46 years in prison.
Cheyenne T. Brown, who was 20 years old at the time, was sentenced to two life sentences in prison without parole after he and 19-year-old K.C. Therriault killed Trudy and Allen Mattausch in their Waverly home in January of that year. Therriault was sentenced to 45 years in prison, court records show.
The couple, both in their 60s, was known for their generosity throughout Spokane County, according to previous Spokesman-Review reporting. They would offer shelter to those without a home, bake pies for neighbors and deliver bread to those in need.
“If there is any role model you would wish for in our society, they would be it,” the couple’s son, Richard Mattausch said after the killings. “They didn’t have a dime, but they always had room for an extra plate at the table.”
Allen Mattausch was an active member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter and often delivered food to low-income residents. Trudy, his wife, worked as a cook at the Good Samaritan nursing home in Fairfield. They were married for 42 years, according to previous reporting.
The Mattauschs had allowed Brown and Therriault to live on their rural southern Spokane County ranch in exchange for chores, previous reporting states. In 1996, Brown stole the Mattauschs’ truck, and the couple reported him to police. He served 60 days in jail for the crime and had to pay more than $600 in restitution. While the couple agreed to let him work the debts off at their ranch, he was still angry at them.
Therriault also felt that the Mattauschs made “joking” comments that upset him. Both agreed they would steal shotguns from the house, sneak into the couple’s bedroom and shoot them while they slept.
Brown was facing the death penalty for the murders until he changed his plea to guilty with no indication as to why. Prosecutors then recommended a life sentence, according to previous reporting.
In 2012, Brown challenged his conviction to the Washington Court of Appeals on claims he was unfairly prosecuted and repeatedly denied constitutional rights during the court process. Nine years later, Brown was granted a hearing and his resentencing was scheduled for this year.
Court records show Spokane County Superior Court Judge Julie McKay resentenced Brown to two 46-year sentences, set to run at the same time, instead of two life sentences because there is evidence that aggravates, but also mitigates, Brown’s culpability in the crime.
His familial environment, prior criminal history, influence and maturity at the time of the crimes were all circumstances attorneys considered during the resentencing.
Brown also demonstrated some “commitment to change,” court records say. Brown is scheduled to be released from prison in 2043.