The family of 19-year-old Andrew Sorensen say he was developmentally disabled and could not have sold his girlfriend into sex trafficking, as the girlfriend’s father claimed he did.
John Eisenman confessed to killing Sorensen after the 19-year-old’s body was found in the trunk of a vehicle that was later abandoned. Sorensen’s family told NBC News that their son could not have done what he was accused of doing.
“He was a disabled kid,” Sorensen’s father told the outlet in a short interview. “He didn’t have the capability to sex traffic anybody.”
The outlet reported that Sorensen’s parents accused Eisenman and his family of demonizing their son to avoid a long prison sentence. Sorensen reportedly “was born with autism and cerebral palsy and who has no ties to sex traffickers,” NBC reported.
Sorensen’s mother told the outlet that their lawyer and police advised them not to speak publicly about the investigation into their son’s death. His mother also said Sorensen had been friends with the teenage girl for years and that they were dismayed to learn how their son died on the news.
“We didn’t get to tell our side of the story,” she told NBC. “Because there is so much more out there about all of this that needs to come out.”
On Tuesday, the family of the victim released a statement reacting to Eisenman’s claims about sex trafficking.
“We spent a year searching for him and hoping he would return,” the statement said, according to NBC. “Claims by his confessed killer have been very hurtful and only added to our family’s grief. The word ‘alleged’ means of an incident without proof. It has already been reported: Both the FBI and Washington State Patrol said there is no sex trafficking investigation into the victim.”
Chris Loftis, a spokesman for the Washington State Patrol, confirmed to NBC that his agency was “not involved with any investigation involving Mr. Sorensen.”
“His name was on our missing persons listing at some point but that does not equate to an investigation,” Loftis told the outlet. “An investigation of that type would likely be conducted by local authorities, not WSP (Washington State Police). We have had no investigation of him related to sex trafficking.”
Sorensen’s only past interactions with police involve charges of fourth-degree assault, marijuana possession, and intent to sell marijuana. A woman once requested a “temporary order of protection” against him, but that was denied after a court hearing.
His family also said Sorensen “had an IQ of 81.”
The Daily Wire previously reported:
According to Spokane police, [Eisenman] learned in October of 2020 that his juvenile daughter had allegedly been sold into a sex-trafficking ring in the Seattle area. Police said he acquired information that indicated his daughter’s then-boyfriend, the victim, may have been the one responsible for the sale.
The father said in court documents obtained by KREM 2 that she had been sold for $1000. He and his fiancé then drove to Seattle, where they rescued the young girl. The couple drove the girl back to Spokane, where she was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Eisenman learned where Sorensen would be and confronted the 19-year-old, abducting him, tying him up, and putting him in the trunk of a vehicle. Eisenman then assaulted Sorensen with a cinder block and stabbed him repeatedly until he died. Eisenman abandoned the vehicle in a remote area where it was later found.