Clemency Board Recommends Denial of Naomi Kinney’s Commutation Request After Split Vote

The Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board voted 3–2 on Dec. 11 to recommend denial of Naomi Kinney’s petition for commutation of a 50‑year sentence for the 2002 murder of Tim Bowman.

Jeffrey Ellis, counsel for Kinney, urged the board to consider her transformation in custody, a recent traumatic brain injury and a chronic thyroid condition he said cannot be adequately treated under current prison medication protocols. Ellis also noted domestic‑violence records and counseling sessions that he said documented years of abuse that culminated in the offense.

Naomi Kinney addressed the board directly, expressed remorse and described long‑term abuse and recent health problems. “I am truly sorry,” she said, and asked the board to consider both her medical needs and rehabilitative work in prison.

Whatcom County Deputy Prosecutor Kellen Kooistra opposed commutation, describing the offense as planned and repeated: prosecutors say Kinney committed multiple attempts before the murder and that the 50‑year consecutive sentence reflected the seriousness and multiplicity of those offenses. Kooistra questioned the reliability of some submitted evidence, said medical claims lacked corroborating records, and emphasized the ongoing harm to Bowman’s family.

Board members split across two positions: some accepted elements of Kinney’s trauma history and medical claims but expressed concern about post‑crime fabrications and inconsistent statements; others emphasized the intentionality of the acts and the continuing pain documented by victim statements. A motion to recommend denial, moved by Board Member Kazi Joshua and seconded by Rhonda Salvason, passed 3–2.

By recommending denial the board completes its advisory role; the governor has the final authority on any commutation.