Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency Services, Oct. 1 ... Our View: School district facility fees should be reasonable ... Jordan Cove LNG opponents vow to take fight to governor's office ... Emergency Services, Oct. 1 ... Our View: School district facility fees should be reasonable ... Jordan Cove LNG opponents vow to take fight to governor's office ... ROBBERY Golden Wok robber headed to prison Man threatened to stab worker Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 3:56 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 3:56 PM » Social News A Medford man who threatened to stab a Golden Wok restaurant worker in the chest during a robbery was sentenced Friday to five years and 10 months in prison. Rhett William Howerton, 44, of the 1800 block of Crater Lake Avenue in Medford left a note behind when he robbed the Medford restaurant while displaying a knife on Jan. 18. Investigators found Howerton's fingerprint on the note, and the victim identified him from a photo lineup, according to an affidavit. In the note, Howerton said he would shove the knife into the victim's chest if she didn't comply with his demands for money, the affidavit said. He left the restaurant with a small amount of money, according to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office. Court-appointed defense attorney Christine Herbert said she had a doctor examine Howerton, and the doctor found he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression. Herbert said he also had a substance-abuse problem, primarily with alcohol. She said Howerton was feeling hopeless and considering suicide at the time he robbed the Golden Wok. "Unfortunately, you took this course when you should have sought treatment," Jackson County Circuit Judge Lorenzo Mejia told Howerton before handing down the prison sentence of five years and 10 months in response to Howerton's guilty plea to second-degree robbery. Howerton wrote a letter to the victim in which he said he was "deeply sorrowful for the awful thing I did." Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 4, 2015 at 3:56 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501