Rantz: Accused murderer out of jail because his attorney reportedly took a vacation
Aug 16, 2025, 5:02 AM
An Anacortes man accused of second‑degree murder and vehicular homicide is now free solely because his attorney decided to take a vacation and failed to show up to court.
Josue Manuel Flores is facing charges following a fatal crash in early July when his vehicle collided with a motorcycle in a parking lot, leading to the rider’s death. According to The Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes Police Department Det. Sgt. Jackie Nations says video evidence shows Flores intentionally targeted the victim.
“Based on the video evidence from Ace Hardware, it is clear that Josue Manuel Flores made substantial steps to intentionally run over Dennis Thornlow’s body with his vehicle, killing Dennis Thornlow,” Nations said in probable cause documents.
How does this happen?
Flores’s arraignment was scheduled last week, but postponed because his attorney failed to appear in court, reportedly due to being on vacation. The judge was left frustrated, claiming attorney Eli Wainman didn’t notify the court or prosecutors of his absence, according to the Skagit Valley Herald. Consequently, the arraignment did not take place, and Flores, who was not in custody at the time, remains free until the court reconvenes on Tuesday, August 19.
This stunning debacle undermines the integrity of our justice system.
Criminal defendants deserve competent representation and due process. But what we don’t get, and what we shouldn’t tolerate, is incompetent representation that inadvertently, or perhaps casually, lets an accused killer slip the leash. How is the public safe with this suspect free?
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