In the late afternoon of September 2, 2023, Dennis M. Vezina, a 41-year-old male, was with his girlfriend in the parking lot of a Jack in the Box in Spokane Valley. It was around 3:20 p.m. when the sound of a single gunshot abruptly shattered the day. His girlfriend heard the shot and saw a man she knew as "Jason" riding away from the scene on a bicycle.
When she turned back, Vezina was gone.
Having sustained a gunshot wound to his chest, Vezina managed to walk into the lobby of the fast-food restaurant before collapsing. Despite the arrival of deputies just before 3:40 p.m., his injury was too severe. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:01 p.m.
The investigation quickly focused on the man seen leaving on the bicycle. Based on the girlfriend's identification, law enforcement searched their database for a "Jason" living in the vicinity and identified Jason Barton. Surveillance footage from a nearby home captured a man matching Barton's description riding up to the dumpster area, where he got off his bike. The video then showed Vezina emerging and running away from Barton, at which point Barton raised his arm and a gunshot was heard. Vezina was struck in the back and fell into some nearby bushes. Barton was arrested early the next morning and booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Further investigation of Barton's phone records revealed a second individual's involvement. Text messages between Barton and 44-year-old Kenneth Griffey showed that Griffey was aware of Barton's lethal intentions, telling him to "be careful" before the shooting. After the fatal encounter, Griffey drove to Barton's house to retrieve a backpack containing a firearm. In May 2024, Kenneth Griffey was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and rendering criminal assistance. Jason Barton later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the killing of Dennis Vezina. Griffey is still in jail awaiting trial.
