A Washington man who miraculously came back to life after being declared “dead” for 45 minutes is now facing murder charges in connection to a drug deal gone wrong.
Washington man arrested for murder
Michael Knapinski, 49, whose near-death experience in Mount Rainier National Park captivated national attention in 2020, is accused of killing 42-year-old Jason Martinell, an alleged drug dealer, during a botched transaction.
Court records obtained by People report that Martinell was found shot in the head in a Safeway parking lot in Bothell on October 25.
Authorities say Knapinski had approached Martinell to purchase fentanyl and methamphetamine—a deal that ended in deadly gunfire.
A companion who was with Martinell told investigators that Knapinski agreed to pay $1,900 for the drugs.
The two men met inside Knapinski’s Toyota Sequoia before driving to the grocery store parking lot.
The witness, following behind them, said he saw the SUV’s passenger door open and quickly close before the vehicle sped away.
Washington man found dead in parking lot
Moments later, the friend discovered Martinell lying face down with a bullet wound to the head.
Terrified, the companion fled the scene, later telling police he was “too scared to call” for help right away. However, he eventually dialed 911 to report the incident.
When law enforcement arrived, they found Martinell without any drugs on his person. Detectives suspect Knapinski not only shot Martinell but also stole the narcotics.
Prosecutors allege that the defendant “chose to shoot and kill the victim for $1,900 worth of drugs.”
“If he is able to take a man’s life for such a small amount of money, it is likely he would commit another violent offense,” they argued, citing nearly a dozen prior misdemeanor charges on Knapinski’s record, though none were dated past 2016.
Knapinski’s dramatic rescue story in 2020 had previously portrayed him as a symbol of resilience.
The experienced hiker became stranded in subfreezing conditions on Mount Rainier after vanishing while snowshoeing near an area called Paradise, located at about 5,400 feet on the mountain’s south slope.
After being missing overnight, search-and-rescue crews finally located him in the rugged Nisqually River drainage.
Missing hiker brought back to life
Rescuers transported him via Navy helicopter to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Although he had a faint pulse upon arrival, his heart stopped for nearly an hour after Knapinski went into cardiac arrest.
Doctors revived him after hooking him up to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine—a device that oxygenates blood outside the body before pumping it back. Miraculously, Knapinski made a full recovery.
Shortly after awakening from a coma, Knapinski spoke to ABC News, declaring his intent to give back and live a life of service.
“I’m already a grateful person, you know? But this is life-changing over the top. I mean. Get more involved in service work and stuff like that. I definitely owe society a lot,” he said at the time. “I’ve got a million people to thank.”
Now, Knapinski finds himself held at the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Bureau on a $1 million bond, following charges of second-degree murder.
Prosecutors say Knapinski later confessed to the crime, allegedly admitting to his roommate, “I shot him. I did it.”
