OLYMPIA, Wash. — The son of a woman found dead in Thurston County on March 9 was arrested by deputies in connection to her killing, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
Two women were killed in separate incidents in Thurston County on March 9 and the Thurston County Sheriff is investigating both as homicides.
Firefighters and sheriff's deputies responded to a house fire around 8:30 a.m. near Cooper Point Road and 41st Lane Northwest in Olympia last Saturday. While extinguishing the flames, firefighters discovered the body of a woman inside the home, the sheriff's office said.
The deceased woman was in her late 40s and the sheriff's office determined that she was killed prior to the start of the house fire, according to new information from the sheriff's office on March 12. Probable cause documents state the woman's body was brought outside of the home and she appeared to have been shot; a shotgun was later found in the house.
Over the weekend, detectives continued to investigate and obtained "crucial information" about a possible suspect. A man in his mid-30s was identified and arrested by deputies on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree assault and other felonies. KING 5 does not typically name suspects until they are officially charged with a crime.
A neighbor told detectives that the suspect was the woman's son and owned the house where the fire occurred.
Another friend who knew the woman said she lived in Seattle but was staying with her son in Olympia. When they got into an argument, the woman asked the friend to come to the house to help her take care of an issue. When the friend arrived at the Cooper Point house, no one answered the door and a man was seen peering out of the blinds, probable documents state.
The friend did not hear from the victim after 3:30 a.m. on March 9.
Two days later, the son was detained by detectives and after he was read his Miranda rights, he reportedly told detectives that he did not kill his mother, but had fired a shotgun recently, documents state.
Two other people who were with the son on March 9 told detectives that they picked up the mother at a nearby Walmart and took her to the home, where she went into the back bedroom, and the son was in the living room with a shotgun, according to the documents. The son allegedly went into the back bedroom and the two people heard a gunshot, and the son returned to the living room and pointed the gun at them. They pleaded with the son to leave, eventually being picked up by a family member nearby.
Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives@co.thurston.wa.us
The second killing on March 9 occurred just before 11 a.m. near Bridge Road Southeast near Yelm. The collision began as a road rage incident and the suspect collided with the victim’s car, pushing the car off the road. The female driver died at the scene.
Deputies are continuing to investigate and identify a possible suspect.
