Olympia man convicted of 2018 arson that destroyed Jehovah’s Witnesses buildings

A 52-year-old Olympia man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for a series of 2018 arsons and a shooting at Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Justice Department announced Friday.

Mikey Diamond Starrett, also known as Michael Jason Layes, admitted guilt in May 2024 to four counts of damage to religious property and one count of using a firearm during a violent crime.

At the sentencing in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Chief Judge David G. Estudillo condemned the attacks, stating: “There are significant and disturbing facts… Terrorizing a group of individuals because of their religious beliefs.”

Starrett’s crimes included three arsons and a shooting, all targeting Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Tumwater, Olympia and Yelm, causing more than $700,000 in damage.

U.S. Attorney Gorman emphasized the far-reaching damage caused by the attacks. “These were not crimes against buildings, but a series of attacks on a community and a faith,” she said.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division noted that Starrett’s attacks disrupted the peace in the community. “The freedom to practice the religion we choose, without discrimination or violence, is a fundamental civil right in our nation… Violence based on religious prejudice has no place in our society,” Clarke said.

According to court records, Starrett’s arson occurred on March 19, 2018, when he set fire to Kingdom Halls in Tumwater and Olympia. He returned to the Olympia location on July 3, 2018 and completely burned it down.

Additionally, on May 15, 2018, he fired an assault rifle at a Kingdom Hall in Yelm.

After an extensive investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and local police departments, Starrett was arrested in September 2021 and has been in federal custody since.

“ATF and our law enforcement partners have spent many thousands of hours investigating these attacks… This punishment is appropriate for his egregious actions,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais.

During the sentencing, members of Jehovah’s Witnesses shared statements detailing their fear and anxiety. One statement expressed concern that the attacks would continue: “I wondered if the arsonist would strike again with people inside.”