Aaron Fisher Sentenced to 90 Months

Aaron C. Fisher, 37, of Port Townsend, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for the May 2025 death of 70-year-old Richard G. Madeo.

Clallam County Superior Court Judge Brent Basden handed down the sentence, which includes credit for time served and 36 months of community custody. Restitution was reserved for a future hearing.

Fisher was convicted of first-degree manslaughter following a jury trial in February.

The charge stemmed from a May 6, 2025, confrontation near a Sequim Safeway gas station, during which Fisher punched Madeo, knocking him unconscious. Madeo was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died two days later.

Distractions During Victim Impact Statements

The emotional peak of the sentencing hearing came when Molly Ramsey read victim impact statements to the court, detailing the profound loss experienced by Madeo’s loved ones.

However, the gravity of the moment appeared lost on Fisher’s defense attorney, Lane Wolfley. Observers noted that Wolfley was visibly distracted and appeared to be working on other things while the grieving family’s words were read into the record.

When it was his turn to speak, Wolfley requested a lighter sentence of 78 months, framing the fatal encounter as a tragic accident. He described the incident as “a complicated interplay of circumstances...that resulted in the punch, that then resulted in the death.”

Wolfley insisted that “nobody would [have] expected death” and claimed that “Mr. Fisher had zero intention of hurting Mr. Medeo.”

Fisher also addressed the court directly, offering a brief statement: “I hope that they can someday forgive me for the incident that happened and I hope that everyone can move forward in their lives without having to feel the pain of this loss forever.”

Judge Basden, before delivering the sentence, complained about the rigid nature of sentencing guidelines, stating his displeasure with having to “quantify metrics in these cases.”

While acknowledging the case is “tragic for our community,” Basden cryptically added, “There are some facts that don’t matter to the court about what I do.”

Legal Wrangling Over a “Hung” Jury

The sentencing also featured a highly unusual legal dispute over the jury’s February findings. Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin requested a mistrial on Count 1 and sought a dismissal without prejudice, clearly signaling the State’s intent to retry Fisher on the more serious charge.

Judge Basden bluntly denied Devlin’s request, asserting his belief that the court already had a “verdict on Count 1,” despite the jury reportedly deadlocking. “There is only one interpretation of the word ‘hung’,” Basden stated.

Conflicts and Trailing Cases

The casual dynamic between Judge Basden and defense attorney Lane Wolfley has drawn intense scrutiny.

As previously reported, Judge Basden personally appointed his longtime friend and former law partner, Wolfley, to represent Fisher at a rate of $250 per hour—all while Basden continued to preside over the case.

Fisher’s legal troubles are far from over. Devlin requested a trial date for Fisher’s other pending cases, which include charges of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, possessing depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and witness tampering.

After initially asking for late June, Devlin and Basden agreed to set the trial for June 22, with a status conference scheduled for May 29 at 9:00 a.m. Those cases will continue to trail as Fisher begins his 90-month sentence.

An appeal is expected.