A Tacoma man stabbed his employer 17 times in a parking lot last year. Here is his sentence

A 41-year-old Tacoma man was sentenced Friday to 80 months in prison for stabbing another man 17 times last year, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Shaun Lee Blue was convicted in U.S. District Court in Tacoma of assault resulting in serious bodily injury after leaving a man seriously injured on March 19, 2023, according to prosecutors.

According to records filed in the case, Blue worked for the man as a day laborer and worked to remove an old trailer from a property in Eatonville. At the end of the work day, the two met in a parking lot so the man could pay Blue for the work he had done. After an argument, Blue pulled out a knife and stabbed the man multiple times in the abdomen, causing severe cuts to his intestines, colon and liver.

Blue continued to stab the man even after he fell to the ground and left after the attack, records show. The man was able to call 911 for help, was found critically injured and continues to recover from significant injuries and multiple surgeries resulting from the attack.

The victim is seeking $25,363 in compensation. Chief Judge David G. Estudillo will determine the exact amount of restitution at a hearing next month, according to the news release.

The crime scene is on Joint Base Lewis McChord property, which is why federal prosecutors handled the case.

In court, Estudillo said: “It is difficult for the court to accept the idea that whatever the victim did could justify stabbing her 17 times. »

In asking for a sentence above the guideline range, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary Stuart wrote to the court: “Blue has yet to be deterred from committing violent crimes despite numerous arrests and prison sentences . Blue's previous interactions with the law should have warned him of the serious consequences of his crimes, but they did not. He has no respect for the law or the justice system.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), with assistance from the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. He is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary K. Stuart, according to the release.