Man pleads guilty to manslaughter for 2022 fatal shooting

Published 1:30 pm Wednesday, November 26, 2025

A Kent man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2022 shooting death of a Federal Way man who had been celebrating the Fourth of July.

On Nov. 17, Sir Antonio Agee II, 22, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, amending the charge that was previously first-degree murder. Agee’s charge stems from a July 4, 2022, incident where, around 10 p.m., a car Agee was in had been speeding through a neighborhood near the 33400 block of 35th Avenue SW in Federal Way, where Matthew Saelor and others were celebrating July 4.

According to charging documents, someone who was not Saelor yelled at the car to slow down because there were kids playing in the street, and Agee subsequently yelled expletives and shot at the group, striking Saelor in the head.

Witnesses told police they saw a white sedan speeding down the street at the time of the incident. Officers then located a vehicle driving erratically whose location and description matched the vehicle that Agee was in when Saelor was shot.

The vehicle was stopped, officers found a firearm, and a witness identified the car as the one at the shooting. One of the occupants was Agee, and a witness stated that he looked like the person who shot Saelor.

According to an obituary for Saelor, he was 19 years old and on track to graduate the following year with a bachelor’s in computer science at the University of Washington Tacoma. According to the obituary, Saelor was a hardworking person who loved to code, play video games and keep to himself.

“He dreamed of one day creating his own video games for his friends, family and the rest of the world to see and enjoy,” the obituary stated. “He was always honest to people, and although he’s quiet, we all remember the good memories we had with him and will cherish them deeply.”

Agee was initially charged with first-degree assault, but following Saelor’s death on July 7, 2022, Agee’s charge was amended to first-degree murder before the charge was amended to first-degree manslaughter following Agee’s guilty plea.

Agee’s co-defendant, Morris Phillips, 22, of Kent, was also charged in relation to the murder of Saelor, but over two years later, on Aug. 30, 2024, due to a new development in DNA. Phillips was charged with first-degree murder.

According to Phillips’ charging documents, new evidence found that Phillips also played a role in the murder. The charges filed against Phillips arose when new evidence found that a second firearm found in the vehicle that was fired at the scene had Phillips’ DNA on it.

Inside the vehicle that was used during the drive-by shooting, there was a Glock 19 handgun and a Polymer 80 handgun. At the scene, there were two shell casings and one bullet slug recovered that had been fired by the Polymer 80 9mm, and two shell casings had been fired by the Glock 19 9mm.

When Phillips’ DNA was analyzed by the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, it was determined that Phillips was excluded as a contributor to the DNA profile on the Glock 19, but his DNA was found on the Polymer 80’s grip, trigger and guard.

According to court documents, with one second-degree robbery conviction, Agee’s offender score for the charge of first-degree manslaughter is two. With an offender score of two, the sentencing range Agee faces is between 95 and 125 months. Additionally, there is a mandatory 60-month firearm enhancement that must be added to his sentence.

Prosecutors recommended a 125-month sentence, plus a mandatory firearm enhancement of 60 months, for a total sentence of 185 months — a little over 15 years. According to documents, this plea was reached following negotiations and input from the victim’s family.

Agee’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 5. Phillips’ next hearing is a trial date set for Dec. 29. However, trials are often delayed. The Mirror will continue following this case.