SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board voted 3 to 1 to recommend clemency for Travis R. Comeslast on Thursday, who is serving a 46-year sentence for murder and robbery. The decision now rests with Governor Bob Ferguson.
Comeslast, 50, was convicted in 1997 after shooting Christopher Gongyin pointblank in the head in front of his wife and infant child during a robbery in 1996. He was sentenced to 46 years in prison after an appeal reduced his original 51-year sentence. Comeslast has served nearly 30 years in prison.
During a December 2025 hearing, Comeslast and supporters highlighted his leadership role in prison. However, County Prosecutor Preston McCollam and Gongyin’s widow Barbara opposed his release…