KOMO reports:

The man convicted of killing a Seattle police officer in 2009 has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The King County Superior Court jury at his trial reached its verdict Thursday after deliberating for less than an hour.

Closing arguments in the penalty phase of the trial concluded Thursday after the jury convicted Monfort last month of killing Officer Timothy Brenton. They also found him guilty of attempted murder for shooting Brenton's partner, Brit Kelly.

The sentence represents a defeat for King County prosecutors who sought the death penalty. Lael Henterly reported for The Stranger in November on the steep costs involved in cases where death sentences are a possibility:

Monfort has the best representation public money can buy; defending him has cost King County well over $4 million so far, not including the additional costs incurred by law enforcement agencies, crime labs, and other agencies outside of the prosecutor's office and the Department of Public Defense... In aggravated murder cases in which prosecutors file a "death notice"—telling the court they are seeking the death penalty—virtually all defendants qualify for defense on the public's dime because these cases are just so expensive to defend.

"Today’s decision ensures Monfort will spend the rest of his life in prison," said the Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty in a statement, "and spares the victims’ families an average of 15 years of constitutionally mandated appeals that would have followed a death sentence. "

Seattle police chief Kathleen O'Toole called the sentence "a small measure of justice for our fallen brother, Officer Timothy Brenton. We will never forget Tim's smile, dedication, and friendship—and will hold these qualities dear as we protect and serve our city and each other.”