Everett An Everett man has been sentenced to 36 and a half years in prison after being convicted of fatally attacking his landlord in a Grand Avenue apartment complex.
The victim, a 71-year-old man, was discovered on November 6, 2025, in a downtown Everett alley near Rucker Avenue, his body securely wrapped in multiple layers of domestic textiles. Court records indicate the man, Daniel Lytton, was last seen alive by the defendant, David Craft, 41, the day before his body was found.
At a sentencing hearing in Snohomish County Superior Court, Judge Richard Okrent imposed the top end of the sentencing range for first-degree murder with a deadly weapon, a charge for which Craft was convicted after a two-week jury trial concluded in late August.
In addressing the defendant, Okrent urged him to reflect on the consequences of his actions, noting the personal and communal losses inflicted by the killing.
Craft has consistently maintained his innocence, even after the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts. During remarks before sentencing, he expressed confusion over the motive, emphasizing that he saw no personal gain in Lytton’s death and instead suffered significant personal loss.
Prosecutors outlined how Craft summoned Lytton to repair a malfunctioning toilet in his north Everett unit on the morning of November 5, 2025. Evidence showed Lytton sustained stab wounds to the neck before being strangled with a belt. Following the confrontation, Craft enclosed the body in bedsheets, blankets, towels, and curtains, then transported it via handcart to the alley during the overnight hours.
A deputy prosecuting attorney noted that Craft’s post incident conduct, both in how the body was prepared and where it was placed, suggested deliberate effort to steer investigators away from himself. Records indicate he interacted with law enforcement in a manner designed to protect his own interests.
Craft’s criminal history includes seven prior convictions involving residential and attempted burglary as well as money laundering.
His defense team advocated for a lower sentence of 26 years, arguing that extended incarceration would not meaningfully enhance public safety or support rehabilitation. They highlighted personal hardships Craft has endured and emphasized lingering uncertainties in the investigation that could support his claim of innocence.
A judge determined that law enforcement failed to thoroughly pursue alternative suspects, noting that records showed other individuals had utilized the victim's credit cards in the period following his vanishing and subsequent death.
The legal proceedings concluded on Aug. 25 after jurors spent nearly 48 hours in deliberation. They returned a guilty verdict on three counts of felony murder. The defendant, who has not yet been sentenced, chose not to take the stand during the trial, and his legal team concluded their defense without offering a closing statement.
Speaking on Friday, the convicted man, a local resident, expressed regret while tears filled his eyes. He emphasized that he and the victim shared a positive past and asserted that he was neither violent nor malicious in nature.
Presiding over the case, Judge Okrent indicated that the defendant's emotional appeal did not alter his assessment. The judge cited the defendant's deceptive statements to investigators and the exceptionally cruel manner in which the victim’s body was discarded as primary factors in determining the length of the sentence.
In the moments preceding the formal sentencing, the judge addressed the court, describing the victim as a wealthy individual who had significantly benefited numerous people in his community. "He enriched theirs, and they enriched his," the judge stated. "You took that all away. Mr. Lytton had some things to do he left unfinished and it’s too bad he doesn’t get a chance to finish them. You took that from him."