Tri-Cities man headed to prison for roommate’s murder. The body still hasn’t been found
A man will serve nearly 20 years in prison for shooting and killing his roommate on New Year’s Eve even though authorities have yet to find the victim’s body.
But Michael Ray Golden, 23, promised during a hearing Wednesday to provide information to help investigators find Oscar Munos’ remains.
“I can’t take back what I did,” he told Judge Joe Burrowes in Benton County Superior Court. “I regret my decisions and I apologize for what I did.”
Golden pleaded guilty to second-degree murder during his arraignment, the first chance that he was allowed to enter a plea.
The decision was made just weeks after he was arrested. It’s unusual to plead guilty so quickly in most criminal cases, and even more unusual in a murder case.
As part of the plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the aggravating circumstance that Golden used a gun to commit the crime. If he had been convicted of it, it could have added years to his sentence.
His attorney, Karla Kane, said Golden was very remorseful and wanted to cooperate because of Munos’ family, including his three children.
Burrowes followed a joint recommendation and sentenced Michael Golden to 19 1/2 years, which is near the top of the sentencing range.
Deputy Prosecutor Brendan Siefken called it a sad day for everyone involved, and noted that no length of time would replace Munos.
Golden’s mother Kari A. Golden and his girlfriend, Coral Ochoa Hernandez, 33, remain charged with helping him. Kari Ann Golden, 54, allegedly helped dump Munos’ body.
Still Missing
Munos’ brother and the mother of his three children said they wanted the closure of being able to bury his body.
“Oscar was a father, a son, a cousin and a friend. He definitely did not deserve to be murdered,” David Munos said. “All I remember is thinking is, ‘Why?’ How could anyone do this to my brother.”
The mother of Munos’ three children said the murder has left a hole in his daughters’ lives. She said he had a strong bond with the girls.
They have struggled to sleep ever since he went missing, she said.
“You not only took away hope from my girls, you took away some of their innocence,” she said.
Shooting and disappearance
Kennewick police have been looking for Munos since his disappearance was reported by a relative.
Michael Golden and his girlfriend lived in an Arrowhead Avenue home with Munos and several other people.
He told investigators that he had been hearing voices claiming that Munos was going to shoot him and needed to defend himself, according to court documents.
On New Year’s Eve, Golden confronted Munos with a shotgun. He pointed it at him several times before pulling the trigger, according to court documents.
He allegedly told investigators that he, his girlfriend and his mother moved the body from the bedroom to the garage in a large black wheelbarrow. They then loaded it into his mother’s car and buried it in a shallow grave in Benton County, court documents said.
Police weren’t notified until Feb. 7 that Munos was missing, according to court documents.
Investigators eventually found a wheelbarrow and bags covered in blood during a search of the Arrowhead Avenue home.
This story was originally published March 14, 2024 at 5:00 AM.