Convicted killers in 2004 gang-initiation murder of Washington state middle school teacher seek early release

On the night of September 4, 2004, Mars stopped by Ki-Be Middle School, where he taught sixth grade and coached football. In the early morning hours of September 5, he was approached by 14-year-old Jordan Castillo and 16-year-old Robert Suarez, who asked to use a phone. The teens then stabbed Mars in the stomach, leaving him to bleed to death in a school hallway. They ransacked his truck before fleeing.

Evidence presented at trial revealed the murder was committed as part of a gang initiation. Castillo and Suarez were tried separately in Benton County Superior Court and convicted of first-degree murder. Castillo was also convicted of robbery. Suarez was sentenced in 2005 to 26 years and 8 months; Castillo received a 29-year and nine-month sentence in 2006.

Now, both men are petitioning the Washington State Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB) for early release. According to News Radio 610 KONA, Suarez applied in October 2023 and has a hearing tentatively scheduled for July 2025, while Castillo applied in April 2024 with a hearing tentatively set for February 2026.

Mars’ widow, Kris Mars, shared her family's anguish in a Facebook post that has since galvanized community opposition. She wrote, “In October, we were notified by the state that Suarez petitioned the ISRB Board for early release from prison. We were told that the hearing request was approved and tentatively scheduled for July 2025. You can imagine our shock. We were notified in April that we will be doing this again for Castillo in February. This nightmare NEVER ends!”

The Benton County Prosecutor’s Office previously announced in December 2022 that one of the two men would not be eligible for resentencing, offering some sense of finality. But with parole hearings now pending, many fear justice may be reversed.

The murder of Bob Mars remains one of the Tri-Cities’ most haunting crimes and the community is now rallying once again to ensure the men convicted for it remain behind bars.

In a similar case that further shook public confidence in Washington’s parole system, Governor Bob Ferguson in March canceled the release of mass murderer Timothy Robert Pauley, a move that reversed a decision set in motion by his predecessor, former Governor Jay Inslee. On his final day in office in January, Inslee rescinded his own 2022 order blocking Pauley’s release, allowing the convicted killer to be freed without proper notification or safeguards for the victims’ families. The family only learned that Pauley — responsible for a 1980 massacre — was being released into their neighborhood the day after they buried their mother, one of the few survivors of the horrific crime.

A Community Concern Hearing will be held on June 23 at 637 Woodland Square Loop SE in Lacey, where family members and community supporters may present or submit victim impact statements to the board. Those unable to attend can send letters of opposition to:

Department of Corrections

PO Box 40907

Olympia, WA 98504-0907

Or email:

kerri.mcneil@DOC1.WA.GOV

isrb@DOC1.WA.GOV