Gov. Ferguson cancels parole of inmate convicted in brutal 1980 SeaTac murders

From our sister site The SeaTac Blog:

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson this week canceled the parole of convicted murderer Timothy Robert Pauley, who was sentenced to life in prison for a brutal 1980 triple homicide at the Barn Door Tavern in SeaTac, citing concerns about his rehabilitation and risk to public safety.

Pauley, who was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder in SeaTac in 1981, had been granted parole by the state’s Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB) in February. However, Ferguson, exercising his authority under state law, reversed that decision, ordering the Department of Corrections not to release Pauley.

“In considering the ISRB record, I am unconvinced that Mr. Pauley is truly rehabilitated and fit for release at this time,” Ferguson stated in his order. “I respectfully disagree with the ISRB and former Gov. [Jay] Inslee and do not find that Mr. Pauley’s rehabilitation is complete.”

Pauley, now 66, has spent more than four decades in prison for his role in a brutal 1980 robbery at the Barn Door Tavern, located in SeaTac. According to court records, Pauley and an accomplice forced five people inside the restaurant to the floor at gunpoint before assaulting three women and fatally shooting two men. Two of the women survived, regaining consciousness after being left for dead.

Although the ISRB determined Pauley had shown signs of rehabilitation, Ferguson pointed to troubling evidence in the parole record, including a 2012 letter in which Pauley made derogatory remarks about prison staff and appeared to condone violence. Ferguson also raised concerns about Pauley’s past substance use and what he described as efforts to manipulate psychological assessments.

Ferguson’s decision marks the second time in recent years that a Washington governor has denied Pauley’s parole. Former Gov. Inslee made a similar determination in 2022. Despite additional rehabilitative efforts since then, Ferguson said he remained unconvinced that Pauley had taken full accountability for his crimes.

Pauley had been scheduled for release on March 27, 2025, under a three-year parole supervision plan. With the cancellation of his parole, he will remain incarcerated indefinitely.

State law allows the governor to intervene in parole decisions for inmates sentenced under Washington’s previous indeterminate sentencing system, which was replaced in 1984.

The ISRB has not yet issued a response to Ferguson’s decision.