A Woodinville man who gained national attention after being rescued on Mount Rainier in 2020 has pleaded guilty to murder in a fatal shooting that happened in Bothell in 2024.
Michael Knapinski, 51, entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder with a firearm in Snohomish County Superior Court on Thursday, according to court documents. The plea came nearly two years after the death of Jason Martinell, 42, of Granite Falls.
Knapinski became widely known in November 2020 after he got lost on a hike in whiteout conditions at the national park. His heart reportedly stopped for 45 minutes. Once he was revived, he told local media the experience had given him a new calling to serve others.
Deputies began investigating on the night of Oct. 25, 2024, after Martinell's body was found face down in a Safeway parking lot at Thrasher's Corner, off the Bothell Everett Highway. He died at the scene. Investigators initially saw no obvious injuries, but the medical examiner later found a small wound on the back of his head that was determined to be a gunshot wound.
Court documents say text messages between the two men showed Knapinski planned to buy about $1,900 worth of drugs from Martinell, who said he was planning to go clean. Detectives used messages about buying methamphetamine and fentanyl to link Knapinski to the shooting. They also learned he drove an SUV similar to the one witnesses saw at the scene.
One witness told detectives that Knapinski picked up Martinell in a black SUV and that the two drove to the grocery store. Shortly after they parked, the witness said the passenger door began to open and Martinell got out before Knapinski drove away. Dash camera video from another witness nearby captured a single gunshot, followed by a person appearing to fall from the vehicle, according to charging documents.
Two days later, Knapinski reportedly confessed to a mutual friend, saying "I shot him… I did it," before apologizing for the victim's death. He was arrested that same day and has been held in the Snohomish County Jail since.
Prosecutors first charged Knapinski with second-degree murder with a firearm. In January, they upgraded the allegations to first-degree murder and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Under the plea deal, he avoided trial by pleading guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder with a firearm.
The standard sentencing range for the offense is 10 to 18 years in prison, plus a five-year enhancement because a firearm was used. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors have recommended a sentence totaling just over 19 years. Online court records show Knapinski is expected to be sentenced on Nov. 4.
