Man pleads guilty to murdering father of 7 outside Richland hotel during daylight hours

Jonathan M. Rodriguez pleaded guilty Friday in Benton Superior Court to the murder of a father of seven outside a Richland hotel, after trying to get the man into an SUV.

He also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a gun.

Rodriguez shot and killed Joshua R. Gibson, a Tri-Cities resident, outside the Riverfront Hotel, formerly the Shilo Inn, about 10:20 a.m. Sept. 26, 2020.

Gibson was seen on hotel surveillance video arriving at the hotel and knocking on one of the hotel doors. A man confirmed that Gibson had visited him.

Then a black Chevrolet SUV pulled into the lot with Michael G. Cook, then 43, driving and Rodriguez, then 27, in the passenger seat. Rodriguez is also known as “Grumpy.”

Rodriguez approached the same room and then the video shows Gibson and Rodriguez walking down a ramp outside the hotel to the parked SUV. Rodriguez had a gun by his right side and was wearing a full face mask, court documents said.

Witnesses reported seeing Rodriguez motion with the gun for Gibson to get inside the SUV.

Rodriguez got in, followed by Gibson, but then Gibson hopped back out. A witness, who reported hearing a loud slap or smack come from inside the SUV, said Gibson told the occupants of the Chevrolet that he would not get in if he was going to be hit, according to court documents.

Gibson also was overheard telling someone to tell his friend not to hit him.

Witnesses said two gunshots followed loud arguing. A number of people reported seeing Gibson fall to the ground and then the SUV sped away on Comstock Street.

According to court documents, a semiautomatic handgun may have been used in the shooting.

Gibson died in hotel lot

Police responded to reports of gunshots and found Gibson dying in the parking lot. Officers and paramedics were unable to save him.

Court documents say that earlier that morning a woman who had been dating Rodriguez for about a week said she had been sleeping in a Kennewick apartment and woke up to find Gibson there. She sent Rodriguez a text message alleging that Gibson had touched her inappropriately.

Cook pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance and was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison, the maximum allowed for the crime.

Gibson’s family sent a letter to the court saying they were heartbroken and that Gibson was a kind soul.

Julie Long, Benton County deputy prosecutor, said during Cook’s sentencing hearing that Gibson was described by his loved ones and others who knew him as a kind and caring person who went out of his way to help people.

The day he was killed, he was helping someone fix their car, she said.

Gibson’s family attended Friday’s hearing for Rodriguez, according to the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office.

Rodriguez had been scheduled to go to trial July 25.

This story was originally published July 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.