Angelika Hayden, a 66-year-old Caucasian woman, was tragically killed on July 7, 2015. On that day, her grandson, Zachary Craven, went to her home in the Skyway area, despite a no-contact order against him, and shot her in the head. Prior to this fatal encounter, the relationship between Hayden and her grandson was described as loving yet troubled. She had taken him in as an infant because his birth mother was unable to care for him, and he grew to know her as "Mom".
However, as Craven descended into drug addiction, he had committed assaults against her and had even killed her cat, yet she continued to give him chances.
Following the murder of his grandmother, Craven proceeded to the Renton home of his ex-girlfriend. There, he encountered 21-year-old Meagan Smith, a friend of his ex-girlfriend who was staying at the residence. After ordering Smith to give him a piggy bank, he shot and killed her as well as the family's dog. A few days before the killings, Craven had also pistol-whipped his grandfather figure, Robert Luxton, who was also a longtime friend of Hayden's.
Zachary Craven was arrested and stood trial for the murders. In May 2018, a jury found the 27-year-old guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree assault for the attack on Luxton. Craven's defense attorneys argued for a 40-year sentence, citing his traumatic childhood, drug addiction, and mental health issues. However, the judge sided with the prosecution and sentenced him to 72 years in prison, which is effectively a life sentence.
