A King County judge sentenced Andrew Baim to more than 24 years in prison Friday for the 2023 killing of Ravensdale resident Nick Valison, following a jury conviction earlier this year, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
Baim was sentenced to 295 months, or about 24.6 years, after the court adopted prosecutors’ recommendation for the high end of the standard sentencing range.
The sentence follows a jury verdict returned on Sept. 5, 2025, finding Baim guilty of second-degree murder under the felony murder rule, second-degree arson, and two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle.
Court records show the sentence includes 295 months for the murder conviction, along with 43 months for the arson conviction and 57 months for each stolen vehicle count.
Under Washington law, the sentences are required to run concurrently because the crimes occurred as part of the same series of events, though each conviction still factored into Baim’s offender score used to calculate the total sentence.
The charges stem from the death of Nicholas Valison on Sept. 21, 2023, in a wooded area near a residential neighborhood in Ravensdale.
Prosecutors said Valison encountered Baim and two other people while they were using stolen vehicles and dumping property in the area.
According to court filings, Valison approached the group after noticing suspicious activity and attempted to stop them.
Investigators determined that Baim was driving a stolen Dodge Ram pickup when Valison was struck and killed.
Prosecutors said the victim suffered fatal blunt-force injuries.
Later that same day, the Dodge Ram was found burned in Ravensdale, leading to the arson charge filed against Baim.
Valison was described in court documents as a devoted husband to his wife of 29 years, Tanya Valison, and a father to two daughters.
His family had lived in Ravensdale for more than a decade, where they were active in the community and well known among neighbors.
Valison was also described as an enthusiastic outdoorsman who enjoyed mountain biking.
Prosecutors said Valison’s death had a lasting impact on his family, friends and the broader Ravensdale community.
Court filings state he lost his life while trying to protect his neighborhood during an unexpected act of violence.
In sentencing documents, prosecutors argued that the high-end sentence was appropriate given the seriousness of the crimes and Baim’s criminal history, which was factored into his offender score under state sentencing guidelines.
The judge agreed and imposed the recommended sentence.
Baim will serve his sentence in the custody of the Washington State Department of Corrections.
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