The Death of Dan Damitio - Felony, Firearms, and a Fatal Error

On the night of February 2, 1963, three individuals — Reinhart Nelson, John Patrick Jr., and Alberta “Dolly” Burns — drove through a rainy Grays Harbor night with one goal: to rob Dan Damitio, a quiet grocer and Army veteran believed to carry large amounts of cash.

But their plan unraveled quickly. Shots were fired, and Dan Damitio lay dead in his home. What followed was more than just a murder case — it became a legal battle that would make its way to the Washington State Supreme Court and redefine due process in the state.

In this episode, we examine the tragic events that led to Dan's death and the deeply flawed trials that followed. Nelson, already known to police, was convicted of first-degree murder under the felony-murder rule. But his conviction was reversed after critical errors in the courtroom were exposed, including the in ...