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The Chilling Tale of Craig Sorger · Minor Mischief Podcast

• Kiki George: What happens when a seemingly innocent playdate ends in disaster? This is the Minor Mischief Podcast and this is the chilling tale of Craig Sorger. Welcome. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back to another episode of the Minor Mischief Podcast. I am your host, Mrs. Kiana Amir. And thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for virtually hanging out with me wherever you are, whatever you're doing, whether you're at work or in the car or hanging out with your friends, we can have a listen party, grab a bottle of wine, you know. Whatever you want to do, or if you're at work, let's par through those reports. Let's get it done. Or if you're cooking or cleaning, thank you all for virtually hanging out with me. Thank you all so very much. It means the absolute most. It really does. Like this world, like nowadays, this day in time, this day in age is just so hard. It's so difficult. But let's just zone out to a true crime story, shall we? We shall. Today's story. Let me tell you something right now. If ever there was a time that you were to wonder, what about your friends in your TLC voice? This story is going to make you wonder. And so often we hear stories about people who just had really bad friendships or, you know, their friends did messed up things to them. Or listen, I'm not exempt. I have had some friendships go south. really fast out of nowhere in my life, but I've never encountered anything like this. And also, I have never wanted to fight a kid as much as I have wanted to lay my hands on our mischief makers these this week. But buckle up and hold on tight. Let's get into it. So for today's tale, let's introduce you to Evan Savoy and Jake Eakin, who are our mischief makers, and Craig Sorger, who is the star of our show, but also unfortunately our victim. Evan Drizzy Drake Savoy was born on October 22nd, 1990, to his parents, Holly and Carl. I am unsure if his parents ever married or if they were divorced or whatever the situation was, but he was raised by his mother, Holly, and his stepfather Andy Parent. At school, Evan was known as kind of a class clown, and he was apparently well liked amongst his peers. However, he was also known as being kind of mean and condescending to those younger than him or those different. From him or those people who he didn't think were quite as cool as him. Evan loved to fish, he loved to play video games, and he was often seen hanging out with his best friend since the age of two, Jake Eken. Apparently, Jake and Evan were also cousins on his bio-dad side. So on Carl Savoy's side, they were cousins. Jake Eakin was born around 1990 to his mother, Tammy Vickery. There isn't much listed information on his childhood, but he was said to be a scrawny little thing, weighing only 75 pounds at the age of 12. Now, hear me out. What's the normal weight for a 12-year-old? I'm just saying, like, if I was being described and all people kept saying this, he was a scrawny little thing. She was a scrawny little thing, like, shut up. I just hated the fact that everyone like. A lot of the reports that I read kept hinting at his size. And then it made me look up like, damn, was he really that small? What's the average size for a 12-year-old? And apparently, the average 12-year-old, like if you were in the 50th percentile, is 89 pounds. Now, I personally don't know a single 12 year old that's 89 pounds. So Buddy was a little thing because he was 75 pounds. And like I said, I don't know, I don't have much to go off of. I have an 11 year old, she's five ten. She gets recruited to basketball and track. Constantly, she's weighing more than 75 pounds. But we're not gonna keep talking about his weight, you know? Because that's just it's just a part of who he is, not who he is. Anyway, Jake was known as an all-around good kid who was a friend to all and only ever got into minor trouble at school. His mother said that he lacked the ability to process information at an adult level. To which I said, Tammy, hold your son accountable and shut up. But we're gonna get into that later. It's always when you say my child would never that you find your child nevering like they nevered before. And that's exactly what this story is about. But Tammy, for the love of all things holy, please hold that child accountable and blame his behavior on the father's side of the family like we the rest of us do. Moving on. So Craig Martin Sorger was born on February 10th, 1990, in Everett, Washington, to his parents Lisa and Chuck Sorger. He did also have a younger brother named Keith. Craig was a special education student as he was autistic and had very severe A ADHD, which it just showed me like a sign of the times. Is special ed still a thing? Like, do kids still cause I remember when I was a kid, it was very clear who the remedial and special ed students were. They were in special classes, they were in, you know, I don't even Did they ride a different bus? I'm not sure, but it was like very clear, like those are the special ed kids. But nowadays everything is just so inclusive. And I don't know, is special ed still a thing anymore? Please let me know in the comments. Like I have school age children. And my daughter, she is not like academically, she does the best she can. You know what? I'm not even about to lie, she's academically lazy. But for a long time, like her doctor and her teachers. felt like she had ADHD, which fun fact, ADHD in girls, well, just take the H out. She was ADD. and ADD in girls has less to do with hyperactivity, but more to do with like just being flighty, just kind of like not being able to focus on your studies or not having the appropriate, like just not having a great level of focus. And that was her. Like literally all of her teachers say It's not that she's not learning the information. She learns the information. She just can't recite it. She can't tell me tomorrow what we did today. And that's just how she's been her whole life. And with her, like she has tutoring and stuff, but she's never been placed in a different class. But I think about it like if she was, you know, back in our day, you know, us eighties babies, nineties kids, she'd she probably would have been a special ad. I ain't even gonna hold you. So I'm just like, you know, when I read this, I was like, my gosh, he was autistic and had ADHD. I'm like, he sounds like today's child. He was just from a different generation, child. But despite Craig's learning challenges, he was said to have lived a pretty average life. He was described as a bright, sweet, affectionate kid who loved the outdoors. He was said to love science, video games, and race cars, and have a great sense of humor. Craig was said to be very adept with computers and technology, and he loved to take things apart and put them back together. And his mom, I think I read a quote from his mom that said, he would like, if something was broken, like let's say they had a video recorder or an old cell phone or maybe a beeper or whatever that didn't work anymore, he would pretty much take it apart and get it working again. Even if it was just the lights. That's what she said. Even if just the lights worked. Like he made sure that something on it was working. now Craig had a real issue with bullies because of course, you know, he's the autistic kid, he's different, he's not quite the same as the other kids. And his grandmother said that the thing that made him a target for bullies is what made him the sweetest grandson. Like he would sit on her lap and give her kisses and cuddle up with her and watch TV. Like he was just described as a love bug. And she said the worst thing that he ever called anyone was a dirty turkey. And you know what, Craig? They are dirty turkeys. I just I don't know. Reading this like about Craig's backstory kind of just put me in a place where I'm just like, I just feel bad because he was treated as kind of like this outcast and this special kid. And I'm like, honestly speaking, we put children from all walks of life and all backgrounds and all learning styles, like. Me personally, I'm a visual learner. If you tell me to listen to something and repeat it, I'm not going to be able to tell you because I have to see it. I need to see it and I really like I'm very hands on. So I can when I'm being trained for anything, I'm just like, just let me do it and talk me through it. Cause that's the only way I'm gonna remember to do it. And that's worked well for me. But if I'm in a room with 20 plus other children, Or 20 plus other adults, because I'm just gonna put myself in Craig's shoes. If I'm in a room with 20 plus other adults and all we're doing is listening to audio and I'm expected to pass the test at the end of this, baby, go ahead and escort me out. Escort me right out because I heard nothing. And I I I'm not gonna pass. So it just to me was kind of irksome that he kept being described as like the special ed kid and the special needs kid. And I'm like, okay, he was autistic. And he was a high functioning autistic. So he blended well with people, you know? So I don't know. I just feel like it's it's not. I'm I'm speaking about Craig only. I'm speaking about Craig only. But the way that he was described just did not I did not feel like he deserved all of the labels that was placed on him. That's all I'm saying. That's my two cents. Anyway, when Craig was 11, his family moved from Everett From Everett, Washington to Efreda, Washington, because he was really being teased and bullied in school. And you know what's crazy? I think it's pronounced Efreda, but I'm sure someone is gonna so say, like, actually it's pronounced Ephrata. But because I've never been to Washington State as a whole, we're gonna pronounce it Efreda. So let's head back in time to February fifteenth, two thousand three, one day after Valentine's Day and five days after Craig's thirteenth birthday. I turned 13 in 2002 and I remember my 13th birthday as clear as day. Like my grandfather died that year, and that was my first time having someone that I knew personally pass away. And baby, I was dramatic on my birthday. I wore all black everything. I was just like, listen, I'm going into my teenage years, but I'm moving closer to death. Lord, my mother should have put me in therapy back then. But anyway, it's February 15th, 2003, and we are in Efredo, Washington. And for those of you like myself who are very unfamiliar with Efreda or Washington State as a whole, Efreda, Washington, which was named after the biblical city Efreda, is known as the gateway to the Columbia Basin because it holds, I guess, the government buildings for that area. It's an area rich with agriculture and it's known for its tight-knit community. Efreda is also popular in that area because it's Home to the Splash Zone Water Park, and it houses a population of about 8,000 residents. So shout out to Efreda. On this particular day, which was a Sunday, Jake and Evan were scheduled to have a sleepover at Evan's house. So Craig, his mom Lisa, and his brother Keith were hanging out at their home. And Evan and Jake were at Evan's house. So Craig's dad, Chuck, was out of town that weekend. He was finalizing the sale of their old home because Again, they moved to Euphreda because Craig was being relentlessly bullied by the kids at the school. And I'll put hands on all y'all too, I promise. Because we're the same age, so I'm not scared. How dare y'all make fun of Craig like that? So Holly, who remember is Evan's mom, she drives Evan and Jake to Oasis Park, which is nearby their house. She drops them off and she's just like, listen, have fun, play. I'm gonna set up home because you know, Evan's spending the night. Maybe we'll grab some popcorn and movies, we'll make it a whole thing. And please just be home before dark. Child, what a time to be alive. Today's kids would never. They could never. We can't even trust them to walk around the corner, my lord. But so the boys are at the park, and I'm not too sure what their conversation was. I don't know if they were just like, we're bored, let's go hang out at Craig's or let's go get Craig or let's go check on Craig. I have no idea what led up to them going over to Craig's house. But they decided to. They go over to Craig's house and they're just like, hey, you know, let's go get him to play with us. So it's a little after 3 p.m. when they show up to Craig's door. And Lisa answers the door and is like, May I help y'all? And they're like, Hey, can Craig please come out to play? And Lisa's like, Mm, I don't know about that. Like, you know, she's overprotective of her son, rightfully so, because he's been through so much. And you know, he was just getting over a cold. She had errands to run that day. And, you know, even though they were a grade below Craig, Evan and Jake were just way more mature mentally than Craig was. And so Craig was just getting over a cold. It was rainy outside. She had some errands to run, like I mentioned before. And she's just like, I don't know about that boy. It's like I I just don't think it's a good idea. He should probably stay in. And of course she looks at Craig and he has the puppy dog eyes on and he's like, Mom, can I please go out to play? Please, please, please. Because, you know, he never really had community before. He never had friends before now. He spent his evenings and weekends hanging out with his parents, his brother, and his grandmother. And now they moved into this new neighborhood. And it's like, I, you know, I need people. I need community. They're accepting of me. Please can I go out? And so she looks at her son and she looks at Jake and Evan and she's just like, okay, listen, I'm gonna let you go outside to play, but I need you back very soon. Like it's after three. Don't belabor this. Let's just be back very soon. And the boys had been out to play like, you know, a handful of times before. So she figured, what's the worst that can happen, right? She told Craig he can go out to play, but just don't be out long. And she watched the boys walk away in the direction of the park. About three hours later, Lisa starts to get worried. The sun is starting to go down, it's getting dark soon, and she had not seen or heard from Craig. She gave him a very, very, very specific instruction and said, I need you home soon. And he never, Craig is never late. He's just never late. Also, Craig was afraid of the dark. So she knew that if he was outside when the sun went down, it would be pure panic. And she didn't have time for that. Like mm mm. So Lisa and Keith leave their home and they start searching around for any sign of the boys and they find nothing. And eventually Keith is like, Mom, you know, I think Evan lives in that house over there. Like I've never been over there. I don't really play with them. They're not my people, but I'm pretty sure he lives in that house over there. So they head over to Evan's house. They go and they knock on the door, and Evan's stepfather Andy answers. And, you know, Lisa's just like, and I'm paraphrasing here. She's like, hey, you know, have the boys returned home yet? And Andy's like, yeah, they got home about 4.25 p.m., which is a oddly specific time. Not gonna hold you. I'm like, 425. I would never be like, yeah, they got home around 4 30. But he said, Yeah, they got home around 4 25 p.m. And now they're in the back playing video games. Like, what's up? And so Lisa tells Andy, like, Well, is Craig here? Because Craig was with them last and there, he's like, No. I haven't seen or I haven't seen Craig, no, but Jake and Evan are home. So I'm sure he'll I'm sure he'll be home shortly. Like it's not a big deal, you know? And so they're chatting for a little bit and she's just like, yeah, because Craig never made it home. And do the boys know where he is? And so the boys come to the door and they're just like, well, you know, Craig fell and hit his head while we were out playing and he was really upset. He was crying and he left the park. And that was the last time we saw him. He was walking in the direction of the house. And yeah, he had just fell, hit his head. He was super upset. He was crying. We tried to console him. Nothing happened. And we no like we saw him walking home. That was the last time we saw him. And I don't think I mentioned earlier, but the Sorger family actually lived in a trailer on the Oasis Park property. So it would not have been difficult for Craig to get back home if he just fell and hit his head and he needed to walk home. Like his home was right there. Before Lisa left their home, Andy kind of pulls her to the side and is like, hey, I bought Evan a new sweatshirt and he did not have it on when he came home. Just and I don't know what made him mention that because it's a really weird detail. Like kids lose their stuff all the time. I can't tell you how many jackets my daughter has been through. It was to the point where I was just like, Girl, if you lose another jacket, you will be walking in the cold. Like, I'm done. So it was just a very, very specific detail, but nevertheless, he did tell her. And Lisa said that at that point she knew like something's wrong. Something is not right. So at this time, Lisa's entering full panic mode. The sun had already gone down by now, and she knows that Craig's not okay. He would never be out after dark. He's just too afraid of the dark. And so Lisa calls nine one one. Officers respond to the scene where Lisa informed them that her son had gone missing. She's like, Listen, my son went out to play. He was with these two other boys. They're home. They are home. They are safe. They're with their families. Where is my child? You know, can we please find him? And so Lisa said at the time, again, she felt just in her spirit, in her gut, she knew something was wrong. And she thought. That they tied Craig up with Evan's missing sweatshirt and drowned him in the pond. Again, I don't know what made her think that. Like, I'm if my kid went out with friends, matter of fact, I would think something's wrong too. I'd be like, Okay, now y'all left together. Where is my child? Where's my child? But I I just I don't know. I would not have been like, they tied, I don't know. You know what? I can't even say, I just I don't know because honestly speaking, if your child left to go hang out with friends and your f their friends make it back safely and they did not, I'm immediately looking at you because you were the last person to see my child. But that's neither here nor there. So again, I don't know what made her think of that, because that was just the way Lisa described how she felt in the moment was just very specific. Like she was just like, I knew something was wrong. This is what was said to me, this is what I peeped, and so That's how she felt. So one of the responding officers, Officer Joe Downey, set off on foot with his flashlight to search around the park to see if he saw any trace of Craig. And what he finds next is something of sheer terror. Officer Downey finds Craig's mutilated body about five minutes later, face down and covered in leaves near one of the park's pathways. Which is, you know, this is the second story where the body was laid face down. I just wonder if there's any significance. Like, why is that? And based on the crime scene photos that I looked at, it looked like they set him like down under a tree and just covered him in leaves. Craig was beaten and stabbed repeatedly. And Lisa was not too far behind Officer Downey. And she said she was walking behind him and he stopped and kind of like just stared. And she knew. She didn't see what he was looking at, but she was just like, he found him. He found Craig. And she said her first thought was, my God, they beat him to death. Again, I just Really, really wonder what made her come to these conclusions. Like she was like she was when I tell you Lisa, she knew. She knew, she knew, she knew. I just I just wish she wouldn't have let her baby out to play with them. But you know, that's neither here nor there. It's we're we're not gonna blame Lisa at all, you know. And obviously she wasn't wrong because clearly, clearly she was right. They did do something to him. It just made me wonder though, like, did they hurt Craig prior to this? Was there a history of like violence between them? Like she from the moment Craig didn't come home, she was like, They hurt my baby. And I'm like, I'm no there was no doubt in your mind. Like, no, like, okay, maybe something else happened. Like she was like, no, I know they did it. But anyway, I'm I'm not gonna keep going on and on about that. So Keith said before this, Craig had only been out to play with Evan and Jake about five times total. And Lisa at the time when they found his body, Lisa rolled Craig's body over and he was still warm. However, detectives stated that his body heat was only retained because of the way that he was buried under the leaves. Not too long after Craig's body was found, Evan and his mother Holly walk up to the scene. Holly apparently brought Evan out to help look for Craig because, you know. By all means, Craig should have been at home and you were the last person to play with him. So we're gonna go help his family look. Lisa turned around when she saw them walking up. She pointed her finger at Evan and she said, That's who did it. I applaud Lisa for keeping her composure because they would have to peel me off Evan. I would have been on Evan like skin on an apple. They would have had to peel me off of him. Because the level of ass whooping that I would have unleashed upon him and his mother if she dared to intervene, it would have gone down in history. Like the case wouldn't have even been about what they did. It would have been about me destroying Evan on that day. They would have had me in paintings like the Montgomery Brawl folks. Like I'm so serious. They would have now, just now, in the year 2026, been getting my hands off from around Evan's neck. And this happened in 2003. It would have been twenty-three years of me beating his ass. But this is not about me. This is about Lisa. So that night, Evan and Jake were brought in for questioning, and they played the game Deny, Deny, Deny. They both told similar stories that the last time they saw Craig, he walked, he was walking home after hitting his head. They both claimed that when Craig left the park, they too left the park to head back to the to Evan's house. Evan said that he hit his head after he fell while climbing a tree. And Jake said that he and Craig were on the same tree branch when Craig fell and hit his head. Evan was questioned about his missing sweatshirt, and he claimed that he had fallen in a puddle of water and got his sweatshirt wet. He said that he hung his sweatshirt on a nearby tree and then, I don't know, I guess somebody stole it from there. Officers also noted that during the interview with Jake, he had on a starter jacket. my gosh, remember those? So he had on a starter jacket with little droplets on the left cuff that resemble blood. He also had on a white tank top underneath with reddish brown stains that the police mentioned also look like bloodstains. So they took Jake's clothes along with the wet pants that Evan was wearing when he got home and took them in as evidence. Meanwhile, that same night, Grant County Coroner took possession of Craig's body and scheduled it for an autopsy just a few days later on February 17, 2003. While waiting for the autopsy to be performed on February 16th, 2003, Holly called another officer named Officer Dobson, and she basically called him hysteric. Like she was crying. He could not make out any words that she was saying. And she was just saying that, like, I found the shoes Evan was wearing. I found the shoes Evan was wearing. And they are wet and they are covered in mud. And he lied. He lied. I know he lied. And so Evan lied and told the police that he was wearing the So basically Evan had on a pair of shoes, right? And he what got questioned with this particular pair of shoes on. They didn't mention what type of shoe it was. So for the sake of my storytelling, we'll say Evan had on a pair of red Nikes. And that's what he wore to the police interview. And his mom was just like, Are those the shoes that you were wearing when you went out to play today? And he's just like, Yeah, I wore these red Nikes to play today. And so she's doing laundry and finds wet Adidas covered in mud in Evan's room. And so she's just like, he lied. Something is up. So Holly was instructed to meet officers along with Evan, Jake, and both of their respective families. And around 3 30 p.m., the police took the boys back to the park and asked them to walk through the events of that fateful afternoon. So here the boys' story changes for the first time. Evan stated that Craig was in the tree and that he and Jake were on the lower portion. He said that Craig fell out of the tree and onto his back. And that when Craig got up, he kind of faceplanted. Like he got up, he stumbled around a little bit and he whacked himself on the face because he just fell forward. Evan said he went over to Craig and rolled him on his back and checked for a pulse by his neck. And then he lifted up his shirt and checked for a pulse, like he put his hand over where his heart should be. And he said he did not feel a pulse either time. He said after that, he rolled him back onto his face and said, I'm getting the hell out of here. He said he did not call for help because he feared that someone would think he had something to do with it and that he had done something to Craig. And by all means, he didn't do anything to Craig. He said that he then walked over to the pond and washed Craig's blood off of his face, pants, and shoes. And I'm just like, Evan, how in the hell did you get all that blood on you if he just fell out of a tree, Evan? How? He finished his new statement by saying that once he was washed up, he and Jake ran back to his house. And that was all that happened. So Jake is being questioned now. And Jake tells the police that he and Craig were on the branch together when Craig fell. He claimed that Craig was still moving when Evan checked in on him. And he thought Craig was just messing with them. He's just like, you know, Craig's a prankster. I'm used to being pranked. So when he fell out of the tree and he was laying there, I was just like, Craig, you're full of it. You're fine, Craig. You're fine. And so he said that when Evan checked him and nothing happened, he was just like, all right, Evan, we're just gonna leave him here since, you know, he's pranking us. And then he said Evan did go and wash the blood off of his body and his clothing, and that he buried his bloodied clothes in the pond. After visiting the park, the boys were taken back to the police statements for tape back to the police station for tape statements. During the tape statements, Evan admitted that the reason he changed his story is because his mom found his wet shoes. He also admitted to purposefully pointing Lisa Sorger away from the direction of Craig's body because he did not want to look suspicious. Well, boys, you forgot one teeny tiny detail. Craig's body was sent for autopsy. And the autopsy determined in my Maury Povich voice that Evan and Jake's story was a lie. That wasn't a good Maury voice. That was a lie. You are not the father. Anyway, so the autopsy report determined that Craig died by homicidal violence. Craig had been struck with a blunt object 16 times on his head and neck. In addition, he had also been stabbed 34 times in the head, neck, and torso. Craig also had stab wounds that punctured one of his kidneys, his left lung, and the diaphragm of his right lung. You can't be stabbed 34 times from falling out of a tree now, can you? Also, a piece of the broken knife blade was found still lodged into Craig's head. So on February 18th, 2003, Evan was called back in for interview. And I'm like, bruh, just charge him already. Just charge him already. You have questioned this boy three, four. How many times have you questioned this boy? Charge him already. But I'm no detective, so I guess they were still building their case. Evan was mirandized and signed a statement that he was willing to basically talk to the police, that he understood what he was being asked, why he was being asked these things, and that he was cognitive enough to speak to the police. Now his stepfather Andy was with him the entire time. Evan started strong, maintaining his story that Craig fell from a tree. Then the police hit him with a gotcha bitch and informed him that the autopsy report came back and stated that Craig was stabbed multiple times. And they also told him about the piece of knife recovered from Craig's skull. Evan swore that he did not stab Craig, but he did have a knife at his house. And he stood up immediately and was just like, we want a lawyer. This interview is over. Y'all are not about to keep questioning my son. You have you have questioned him enough and he has said enough. We're getting a lawyer and we're getting the hell out of here. Evan was taken into custody and charged with first degree murder, and a search warrant was entered and approved for the search of Evan's residence. At the house, Holly admitted to the police that Evan had just purchased a white-handled pocket knife the week before. And Holly even gave the police permission to search her car because they were basically standing outside of the house waiting for the warrant to be approved. They're just like, Don't you go anywhere, Holly, because I know this warrant is about to get approved. And I don't want you going in there messing with stuff. So they were outside, you know, the house waiting. And Holly's just like, well, my car's unlocked. You can search my car. And Evan, like, he just bought a pocket knife. So, you know, this this doesn't sound like like impossible, basically. So while this was going on, Jake was at school. He was in class at Frontier Middle School in Moses Lake, Washington, Ghost Spartans. And This is the second story. Is this the second story that we've covered where they rolled up on them at school? I know they rolled up on Josh Phillips at school. I'm just trying to remember where Mackenzie Sherilla was. I think they got her at the hospital, but yeah, they rolled up on him at school. I would be sick. Could you imagine you're at school, you're learning, you're doing the best you can with what you got, and you get a call to the office because the police are there to get you. I would be sick. So police waited at the principal's office while Jake's parents were notified of what was happening because they couldn't talk to him without his parents present. And I don't know how true this is, but Jake's stepdad, Chris Vickery, went up to the school and raised hell. They said he cussed everybody out for even coming to Jake on that level, for showing up to the school, for even like trying him like that. Like they said Chris caused a ruckus. And then he was just like, we're not doing this here. And so the police arranged to meet Jake back at his parents' house. So when they get back to Jake's parents' house, Jake was mirandized in front of his parents and he agreed to questioning. He said he was cognitive and understood enough of what was going on to answer the questions that he was being asked. So immediately they're just like, We're not even about to play the long game like we did with Evan. We did an autopsy. We know that Craig was murdered. What do you know? And Chris Vickery said, I know you damn lying. We want a lawyer. Sorry. When I read that, I was laughing. I said, they lauried up quick. I'm not even, I they lawyered up very quick. So Jake was taken into custody at this time. Upon searching Jake's room, the police found a journal entry in a book labeled Sniper. And the last entry was from about a week earlier. And it said, quote, I idolized because the sniper killed 13 people and they could not find out who it was. Now that's the English version. They showed in the article that I read how it was spelled. And he spelled because B-E-K-U-S. he spelled killed C I L L D. He spelled people P-E-P-E-L-L. And he he spelled couldn't C U D N apostrophe T. And Jake, you should have stayed in school. And this is not me making fun of him because listen, like I said, my daughter struggles. Like for the longest time, she could not spell the word alarm because she pronounced it elarm. And so she spelled it elarm. And having her sound out anything phonetically, she's she's she does not do well. She asked me something. It was a super simple word. Mind you, my daughter is almost in seventh grade. And I'm just like, surely you know how to spell cricket. You know? So this is not me shaming. Jake, whatsoever, but he should have been in them books instead of murdering Craig. That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. I could not find an ounce of information on Craig's funeral. I don't know if he had one. I don't know if he was cremated. I don't know if they just decided to do everything in silence. I couldn't find a news article. I couldn't find an obituary. I found an online obituary page, but it said nothing about Craig. And everything, it was just like comments, just people like, I'm sorry this happened to you, Craig. You are such a bright light in this world, Craig. You were an amazing soul, Craig, but no like commentary from the family. So they kept that pretty much all in private. So now both Jake and Evan are charged with first degree murder and they're being held at the Grant County Youth Services Detention Center on a bond of one million dollars. The blood on both boys' clothes was tested, and the blood from Jake's shirt came back inconclusive, but Evan's shirt tested positive as Craig's blood. On May 8, 2003, Jake and Evan had their first appearance in court to decide if they were going to be charged as minors or as adults. The fear being that if they are charged as minors, their records would be sealed and they essentially would be able to walk when they're adults. They would be able to go on to live normal, healthy lives upon release. Meaning that they can go work in law enforcement, they can go work at a school, they can go work at a daycare, they can go work around special needs people, they can go work at nursing homes, and the fear was that they would end up around another person that was vulnerable and commit a crime again. So the defense attorneys argued that since Jake and Evan were so young. They did not have the capacity to fully understand the weight of their crime and the consequences that follow that crime. The Sorgers completely called BS though and said that this was not a matter of age, but that the issue is as sharp and as clear as the pain and fear that Craig felt in his last moments. Chuck Sorger did go on to say that nothing in the juvenile system matches this crime. And I agree with him 150,000%. Because I feel like I feel like they did this, but we're gonna get into that later. Because I definitely want y'all to tell me in the comments what you think. But I feel like they did it. And so it's like, yes, they were man enough to kill his son, but they're not man enough to deal with the consequences. Now they have cognitive delays. Now they're unable to understand. Hell no. Make them understand. That that's just me personally. But as they were coming to a determination. A study of about 1400 kids and of young people older than Evan and Jake hit the front page news. And it was like everywhere at the time. Basically, they did this study and it was completed by the MacArthur Foundation. And they stated in this study that they basically did research on about 1,400 kids. Remember, they all the kids that they researched were older than Evan and Jake. And they came to the conclusion that anyone 16 and younger cannot understand their situation well enough. To aid in their own defense. And aiding in your own defense is a constitutional right. The study concluded that states should reconsider the minimum age for juveniles to be tried as adults. This finding started a huge debate about the boys' grasp on reality, about their grasp on the charges they were facing, about their grasp on life as a whole. And even though they disagreed on how to charge the boys, both prosecutors and defense attorneys, which is rare. Because usually the prosecution and the defense does not agree, but the prosecution and defense did agree that the manner in which Craig was killed was absolutely heinous and that it was barbaric and someone should pay. Of course, the defense is like, not my client, but someone. Defense attorney Douglas Anderson stated, I've told my client's parents that there's nothing we can do about that fact. And that fact that he's talking about is basically about, you know, it being a heinous crime and about them being charged with this heinous crime. So the focus here is gonna be on the fact that he, the 12 year old, is not mature or sophisticated enough to understand court proceedings. And I agree, I barely understand court proceedings. Sometimes, you know, legan legal jargon gets thrown around, and I'm just like, in English, because I don't understand none of that, sweetheart. But again, I do feel like they were man enough to commit the crime. That's just me. Both boys maintain their innocence, and you know what? Evan's parents stood beside him. Even Holly. Even Holly that called the police hysterical about, my gosh, there's something in my son's room, but he lied and my gosh. When time came for court, Holly was just like, My baby ain't do this. My baby did not do this. And how dare you all charge my son with this crime. The killer's still out there. You know, Holly pulled one of those. I'm gonna get on her later. They said that Evan was just as shocked as they were. When they found out that Craig has been stabbed, because Evan said he was fine when they left the park. This is contradictory, however, to Evan's claim that he did not feel a pulse from Craig before he left the park. And to be quite honest, I think Holly knew deep down in her heart, she knew what was up. And despite their attempts, it was ruled that Jake and Evan would be tried as adults. If convicted, They would serve in juvenile detention until the age of 18, at which point they would be transferred to an adult male prison. I'm just the fact that Holly is, you know what? I'm gonna get on that later. I'm I'm going to get on that later. I'm gonna stay focused because that just ugh. Anyway, while in juvenile detention, both boys were interviewed by forensic psychologist Eric Johnson and Eric Johnson determined that neither of them were psychopaths and did not have any major behavioral or emotional problems. He said they look like little boys, they act like little boys, they're actually described as being nice, polite, they have friends, they're well-liked by other people, and they relate well to their families. It's rare. It's very unusual, but it happens. There are cases of other kids or instances of very unexplainable violent behavior. They're trying to understand violence. And they're trying to decide how they feel about violence or if they're capable of violence. And I'm like, I read that statement and I was confused. I was perplexed. I was flabbergasted. I was just like, they pay you how much to say this? These boys are on trial for murdering someone who by all accounts, by Holly's account, by Andy's account, by Tammy's account, by Chris's account, by Lisa's account, by Keith's account, by Chuck's account. Craig did not bother them. Craig very much drank his water and mind his business. And so you're telling me that there that the reason this crime was committed is because. They were trying to figure out how they felt about violence. Okay, so now they know how they feel about violence. What now? How do they feel about it? Tell me, Mr. Johnson. In April of 2004, a judge ruled that Evan and Jake should be tried as adults because if guilty, there was nothing that the juvenile justice system could do to rehabilitate them. The juvenile justice system was not built for a crime of this magnitude, is what the judge said. Well, friends, in 2005, my boy Jake got tired of waiting. He said, you know what? The odds are stacked against me. My back is against the wall. If I ever want to see the light of day again, I need to figure this out. Like I'm facing some real, real charges. And so he went over to his lawyer and said, Hey, let's talk about a plea deal, shall we? And discussed a plea deal. They did. Jake took a plea deal for second-degree murder. And with that plea deal, he had to basically testify against Evan. And beloved, Jake sang like Adam Lambert on American Idol. He pretty much placed all the blame on Evan and stated that all he did was beat Craig with a stick. He's just like, listen, I'll take responsibility for beating him with a teeny teeny teeny, the smallest twig that I could possibly find, because you know I'm only 75 pounds. And he said that Evan bludgeoned Craig with a football size rock before stabbing him to death. With the plea deal and his testimony, Jake was sentenced to 14 years in prison. And to that, Evan said, I'm gonna take my chances and go to trial because I am innocent. And I don't care what Jake said that he whisp that he witnessed. This is about me. And I'm telling you right here, right now, that I did not do this. Jake's mother, Tammy, said that she believed 100% of what Jake said. She said that Jake had nothing to do with this, and that Jake could not possibly have been there because how was Jake there? When Craig was stabbed thirty-six times, laying in a pool of blood, and all Jake had on him was a teeny tiny speck of blood. Jake didn't have any wet clothes. Jake didn't hide his shoes. Jake had a teeny tiny speck of blood. And she said that she knew deep down in her heart that her son was innocent. And I'ma light until you later, Tammy, just you wait. In a pretrial interview, Evan was questioned and asked if he understood the charges he was facing. He answered. I know it's a really high charge. I mean the highest. Unless you go and do something to the president, things could get really, really ugly. Doing time in jail or prison. This, and by this he meant like the juvenile detention facility that he was staying in. He was like, This ain't quite as bad as prison. But I don't like it. But see, I haven't been found guilty yet or anything. And so I just haven't had my trial yet. But I'm letting y'all know that this is a high charge and I didn't do this. So Evans trial got underway in April of 2006, and he was represented by defense attorney Randy Smith. Now, Lisa Sorger testified to what happened that day, saying, in your worst nightmare, you could never believe that this would happen to you. She said that she felt immense guilt for even allowing Craig to go outside to play that afternoon. And she said the worst part of it all is that she did not realize until she saw the detailed crime scene photos. how much her son had suffered before he died. She really blamed herself. And the prosecutor just kept telling her, like, Lisa, just it's it this is not your fault. You could not have thought that just by your son making friends and you allowing him to go out to play, you could not have possibly thought that this would happen. But Lisa, like I said, she said she had even from the time they came up to the door, she was like, he should not be going out there. But you know, to all my parents out there, you know how it is. Like you can tell your kid, like, this is a bad idea, this is a bad idea, this is a bad idea. But at the end of the day, it's like, you know, they kind of have to learn on their own. But my God, not this lesson. Not this lesson. Jeez. Holly and Andy Parent both also testified to finding Evan's wet and muddy clothes and also to the fact that he did purchase a similar knife to the one that was found in Craig's head shortly before this crime took place. However, they both maintain that they did not believe Evan did this. Defense Attorney Smith placed the finger every which way but at Evan. He said that the sorger should be investigated and that it was likely a family member that committed this crime. To which I'm just like, sir, first of all, in your client's first statement, he said that he did not feel a p a pulse on Craig when he left the park. My question is, who is going to come behind him and stab an already dead body? Riddle me this. And then the autopsy would have said that the stabs were post mortem. So, like, defense attorneys really trip me out. They just like, like, they would look at the facts and be like, no, that ain't the facts. It can't be the facts. I guess that's their job or whatever, but I'm like, you lie so badly. Anyway, he said that the sorgh should be investigated, and the prosecution countered by providing evidence that blood was found on the clothing of both Jake and Evan, and also that they changed their story continuously over the course of a few days. Not even years, not even months, but within the first few days, their story was already different. Evan testified in his own defense and repeated the story that he told police before. His trial lasted for a total of three weeks and both sides rested on April 26, 2006. Hey, that's my nephew's birthday. The jury deliberated for two days and returned to court with a guilty verdict. Evan showed no emotion as the verdict was read. Child, I would have been in shambles. I would have been in shambles. You hear me? At well, he was fifteen at the time of the trial, but fifteen? And you telling I'm about to go to jail for first degree murder? Shambles. They would have had to they would have had to scrape me off of the floor. I would have been in shambles. Prosecutor John Nodell stated, I concluded a long time ago that this young man was guilty, and I'm gratified that 12 citizens agreed. Holly left the courtroom that day saying, As sure as the heaven touches the earth, rotten will crumble. She said the killer is still out there. Now we're going to appeal and I'm not giving up. My son is innocent and I am going to fight. Holly, girl, girl, you know your son's not innocent. I'm just saying. Because if you thought he was innocent, why are you calling the police? Like, my gosh, I found things in his room. Evan was sentenced on July 10th, 2006, to 20 to 26 years in prison. He did file multiple appeals, and one was actually approved due to an error in his trial, and his conviction was overturned. He did decide that, listen, once Evan got that appeal approved, and they're just like, okay, fine, we'll toss the case and we'll go back to trial. Evan said, Let me get one of them plea deals that y'all gave Jake. And so he did and he did plead guilty to the lesser charge of second degree murder to prevent him going back to trial. Because Evan, had you gone back to trial, they would have given you the chair. I don't know if that's legal in Washington State, 'cause I know not a lot of states are death penalty, but Evan was like, I'm not even about to take my chances. And also his prison record wasn't that great because he had landed himself in solitary a couple of times. he w he spent some time in the hole, seriously, but Yeah, he got into some trouble while he was in prison. So he probably did the right thing by going ahead and taking that second degree charge. The knife that was used to kill Craig was never recovered. They never found the knife. And I'm actually unsure if they found Evan's bloody sweatshirt because I didn't see any mention of that after the fact. So and that is the chilling tale of Craig Sorger. Where are they now? Well, honey chow. Jake was reportedly released from prison on a work release in 2016, which caused a huge uproar in the community. Number one, because you're not supposed to be eligible for release if you committed a murder or any violent crime. Also, to mention that Jake apparently had escaped from prison before. I don't know how he did it. I couldn't find the information about what happened if he just like waltzed out one day, if he went out on a laundry cart. I don't know. But Jake escaped from prison on a Sunday and they arrested his ass on a Tuesday and was like, You're going back to jail. And I'm like, even with all that, y'all still let him out. But he's out. He is a free man. He got released on a work release program in 2016. So he would basically go to work and then spend nights at a halfway house. You know, he had to be home at a certain time. He could only leave to go to work. And you know, that worked out well for him. again, people were in an uproar about that. They were just like he could not have possibly been eligible. But law enforcement says that he passed the screening process and that he was close enough to his release date. So he is out, he is a free man, and now he is making noise as an anti abortion activist. So he paroles the streets and basically is against the murder of unborn children. Which is very ironic. But he says that the reason why he chose that particular career path is because he feels like because of what he had done, if he can save another person from being murdered, then, you know, his work here on earth is done. And, you know, I have mixed emotions about it, honestly. On the one hand, like, great, you know, you found your calling as an anti-abortion activist, but Craig is still dead. So I'm glad that you're saving the fetuses, but also Lisa doesn't get her son back. And I also felt like, yes, he got 14 years and he served 13 of those 14 years before he was let out on work release. But I feel like he should still be in jail. I really do. I feel like they should have both gotten life without the possibility of parole because not once. Have they apologized to Lisa? Not once. And this, you know, I'm gonna go on my final thoughts in a moment. Evan is also out. He got out around 2023, and he is out living his life. He's out. He got out in 2023, which would be 20 years. He got sentenced to 20 to 26, and he got out in 20. And he is still claiming innocence and his mom, Holly, is still sticking beside him. That is her baby, and she's gonna stick beside him. And that's that. So for my final thoughts. I feel like it's because of people like you, Tammy and Holly and Andy and Chris, while children do these types of things and think they can explain their way out of anything. Like think they did it. There was just too much evidence against them. And they lied. Even if they were scared, even if Craig did fall out of a tree, which obviously you can't fall out of a tree and have 36 stab wounds. But even if Craig did fall out of a tree, you didn't call for help. You didn't even go back to his house. You went and got him from his house, took him away from his mom. You should have gone back to his mom and said, my gosh, Craig fell out of a tree and he's not moving. Period. Because why would you be afraid to do that? Why would you be afraid to get your friend help? Why would you be afraid to let an adult know that something is wrong? Why? Because you did it. You killed him. And I think the reason why I feel like they should still be in jail. And I know at some point you guys are gonna be like, you think everybody should still be in jail? Not necessarily. Not necessarily. I don't necessarily feel like I feel like Takisha Gilmer, honestly, they could probably let her out. I can't remember when her crime was. I think it was in 2010. But I feel like they sh they could let her out. Like she's been in there a good 15 years by now. But she's not getting out. She she's doing life without parole. Josh Phillips is doing life without parole. But I feel like them and the guys from the Elise Paler case, Royce, Jacob, and Joey, they're out. Monique Maestis is out. And I'm just like, make it make sense. Craig was minding his business. He was in his house. Like, I would have rather them just not be his friend at all. I would have rather him just continue to spend weekends on his grandma's lap than for what they did to him. Because I feel like they did this. And if I'm wrong, I'm I'm woman enough to admit that I'm wrong, but I really don't think I'm wrong. And I just, it irks me the fact that their parents are just like, no, my baby could never. No, he would never do this. Like they just, you know, like, There has to be something in you that's just like, I think my baby may have done this. But you're enabling them. And this just kind of gives them reason to feel like they could do it again. Do I think they'll do it again? I don't know. Jake looks like he should probably just continue to protest, you know? But I have not seen any pictures of Evan recently. But truth be told, I feel like Evan was the ringleader in all that. I really do. I feel like Evan was the ringleader and Jake kind of just tagged along. Where Jake should take accountability is the fact that you knew this happened and you didn't say anything either. To this day in 2026, yeah, you threw him under the bus, but Lisa still has not gotten an apology. Chuck has not gotten an apology. And Keith had to grow up as an only child because you guys took his only brother away from him. And I feel like give him the chair. Like truly, like I'm just being so for real. Because of the senseless nature of this crime, because of the audacity of you to just take this boy's life when he really did nothing. You went to his house. You went to his house. Asked his mom if he can come out to play and murdered him. You should still be in jail. And like I said, l I give major number one condolences. But I give major props to Lisa because I would have lost it. You mean to tell me that he was within strangling reach and she kept her composure. She was just like, He did this. I know he did this to my baby. And he did. He did. there was a couple things that like a couple articles about where Keith is now. Like he still, you know, keeps his brother's story alive, but it's just not the same. Like Craig's not coming home. And I don't feel like any parent should have to endure that. It just reminds me of that, my gosh, what was that girl's name? The one that went to Mexico with her friends and they swore like it's just I would rather you guys just leave them out of this. But jealousy would do that to you. Envy would do that to you. Malice would do that to you. Hatred would do that to you. And it just my heart goes out to the Sorger family. And I it's like it's even more of a slap in the face because his killers are out. And they're about my age. They're a little bit younger than me, 'cause they were born in nineteen ninety and nineteen ninety two. So they're younger than me. And I mean, I'm, you know, I'm in my late thirties, but I still feel pretty young. I still feel pretty young. I still feel like I have my whole life ahead of me. I could still party until like 10 p.m. And then Auntie has to go home because at that point I'm tired. Unless I had a nap earlier. Then maybe I could stay out till like one or two. But definitely not overnight like I used to. Mm-mm. I have to go to bed. I need my rest. But yeah, tell me your thoughts. Let me know what you think. Do you think they did it or do you think they're really innocent? Please drop. A line in the comments. Let me know. And also just let me know how you're enjoying the podcast. Let me know what you think. Let me know what you like or dislike. Let me know if there are any stories that you may possibly want to hear. I reviewed my analytics data today. And thank you all for tuning in. follow me on TikTok, Minor Mischief Podcast. On Instagram as Minor Mischief Pod, I believe. I might be getting them mixed up. Minor Mischief Pod or Minor Mischief Podcast. And I promise you all by next time. I will remember the correct order of things. But as you all know, and I've said this a million times before, usually when I'm recording this, it's like in the we are of the morning. So my brain is like, girl, what what color is up? You know? but thank you all for tuning in with me. Please let me know what you guys think about the story. I think they did it. I think they're guilty of sin, and I think they need to go back. I think they need to go back. I think Monique Maestis needs to go back. I think Royce okay, maybe we'll leave him alone. Maybe. Because he was the one that confessed and actually showed genuine remorse. But that other little boy, he can go back. It just yes, they're children, but you still have to take accountability for your actions. And I think and maybe I'm biased, right? Because I know of someone who lacked accountability his entire life. And that person right now is in jail and he is facing I think first degree murder and felony murder and is still just like I do it because he's never been held accountable for anything, anything in his entire life. And so now that he has committed the ultimate crime, he's just like, I should get be able to get off on this because I didn't do nothing. And it just it just doesn't work like that. It just doesn't. So anyway, that is our story time for today. Aren't you all proud of me? I have made it three Thursdays in a row. My goal is to keep like make it the entire year. That is my goal, is to just go this entire year without having any bye weeks. And so please give me your story recommendations, whatever. Drop a line in the comments. Let me know what you like or dislike. It is getting late. I have to work tomorrow. So I will see you all next time, same day of the week. And until then, stay mischievous, friends.