Michael Leon Palmer who was convicted of four counts of child molestation in the first degree, one count of assault of a child in the second degree and one count of assault in the fourth degree by a jury in Grays Harbor County Superior Court on Aug. 15, was sentenced to 33 years to life in prison by Superior Court Judge Vini Samuel last Friday.

Palmer was originally arrested by the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office in 2017 and was convicted of child molestation in the first degree, assault in the fourth degree, and assault of a child in the second degree on July 6, 2018. However, the conviction was overturned in August 2021 and Palmer was granted a new trial.

That new trial, which lasted three days, was conducted last month, with the jury finding Palmer guilty on all six counts in less than an hour after they got the case.

At the sentencing, Palmer, who represented himself, sat with advisory counsel Karrie Young. Palmer was disheveled and his right shoulder was in a sling.

Grays Harbor County Criminal Chief Deputy Prosecutor Daniel Crawford read the charges Palmer was convicted of and indicated that the victims in the case, who were 9 and 4 years old at the time when Palmer committed these crimes, did not wish to address the court. Their mother, however, delivered an impact statement.

She said that her children did not wish to see Palmer or be in the same room with him, and asked Judge Samuel to impose the maximum sentence allowable by law.

“His actions were deliberate and premeditated,” she said. “I believe he is a sexual predator and will always be a sexual predator. He is a liar and a manipulator. He has used the child welfare system as a weapon. My children were abused and terrorized. (They) will have to deal with this for decades.”

Palmer’s ex-wife also made an impact statement and described various forms of sexual abuse, threatening behavior, manipulation and intimidation during their relationship and expressed empathy for the victims in this case.

“He has manipulated and abused this family and this court,” she said. “He is a dangerous man and a threat to peaceful society.”

Crawford then addressed the judge and the court and described Palmer as the “ultimate predator” who showed no remorse. Crawford thanked the court and the defense attorneys for their patience in dealing with Palmer’s histrionics during the trial process.

The prosecutor spoke of the girl, now 18, who is autistic, who had to “answer questions from the man who raped her for years and caused more pain during the trial. (The victim) had resigned herself to a life of abuse. There is no number other than forever that would be sufficient.”

Palmer was defiant and indignant to the last, claiming the court has broken the law by denying his right to counsel, and said the testimony against him during the trial was provably false.

“I will continue to fight for my freedom,” Palmer said. “Science will set me free. I have since found a path that is Christ-based. I plan to start a prison-based ministry and use AI (artificial intelligence) to solve crime.”

Palmer then blathered on about technological conspiracies and how AI will prove the victim lied on the stand.

As Judge Samuel prepared to pronounce her sentence, she offered kudos to the court officers who dealt with Palmer’s weaponization of the court system to delay and thwart the pursuit of justice and due process. She thanked the 67-member jury pool who “did their duty and were responsible to Grays Harbor citizens. … That jury will take the facts of this case with them for a long time.”

Judge Samuel then addressed Palmer and recounted disturbing details, facts and testimony in the case. Palmer interrupted and shook his head repeatedly.

“What I have not seen is any acknowledgement of crimes,” Judge Samuel said. “You created an environment of abuse. The top of the range is not sufficient for this crime. They live that nightmare together, they will live it forever.”

Judge Samuel then advised Palmer of his right to appeal and gave instructions on doing so.

Crawford, who made it a point to acknowledge the efforts of the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office for their efforts in bringing Palmer to justice, reiterated that Palmer deserved the longest prison sentence imaginable.

“There’s no number high enough for Mr. Palmer, for sure. He’s in custody, and he can’t harm anybody else as long as he stays there,” Crawford said. “These guys, they blame victims. It’s everybody else’s fault, it’s the system’s fault their behavior has never been addressed within themselves.”

Crawford credited the victims for their strength and the jury for their efforts during the trial.

“It’s their strength that allows us because unfortunately, they have to face the person that did this when they go to trial. It’s been nine years, so hopefully there’s been lots of counseling, and lots of healing, and they’re able to further stand up instead of being scared anymore,” Crawford said. “After speaking with (the jurors), they were very much impacted by this particular case. They wanted to see it through. They all came together in the community, they made the right decision and justice is served. … On to the next one.”