Teresa Nordheim - Murder & Mayhem in Seattle

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2016 by Teresa Nordheim

All rights reserved

Front cover, bottom: Hotel Seattle, first home of the Seattle Public Library. Seattle Public Library.

First published 2016

e-book edition 2016

ISBN: 978.1.43965.854.3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016944037

print edition ISBN 978.1.46713.660.0

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

DEAD-ICATION

For Derrick

I feel like you are the reward for everything Ive done right in my life.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to thank my fianc and really, really, ridiculously delightful daughters for supporting my passion, forgiving me for the hours of neglect and moody moments and their never-ending words of encouragement. Derrick is my rock, and I dedicate this book to him. He stuck by my side every step of the way, no matter how many times I turned into an evil monster, and encouraged me to fight until the finish. Cindi and Katerina (aka K-Dragon) are my inspirations and motivation for continuing writing and to never give up, even when the rejection slips came in daily. I hope Ive inspired them to follow their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.

Throughout the process of writing this book, many individuals from the community and dear friends have taken time out to help. I want to extend a thank-you to all of those remarkable people. My marvelous granddaughters, Kaeloni and Gillian, brought me smiles and joy during the most difficult moments with their mischievous mayhem. My parents allowed me to follow my ambitions and encouraged my creativity from a young age. Thank you to my cat, Freya, for her unconditional love and for waking me every time I fell asleep at the laptop. The Seattle Public Library donated the majority of the historical photos in this book, and my contact from there, Jade, made the process of obtaining photos easy as pie. My sister, Kari, has been a perfect friend and support system. Joe has guided me along the way and donated research and wisdom. Working with Ross on Tacomas Haunted History opened many doors for me, and I will be forever grateful. Annie helped locate interesting characters and really saved the day at the end of the process. Denielle, Melissa, Doug, Amanda, Christie, Cheri, Kim, Cristin, John and Dennis offered pep talks, which kept me motivated, and they all allowed me to vent on the stressful days. Without friends, I might be at Western State Hospital right now.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank The History Press and the two best editors in the world, Christen and Megan. This book would never have come to life without their assistance. They went above and beyond to help me locate photos and meet my deadline. I will always treasure their contributions.

In memory of Dr. Bryan Whitemarsh: July 21, 1968June 2, 2016.

INTRODUCTION TO SEATTLE

Controversy at Day One

Today, Seattle is known for Starbucks coffee, Boeing, Microsoft, the Space Needle, rainy weather, mountains, ocean beaches and Pike Place Market. At least, these are the items that the local travel agents might use to seduce people to the Emerald City. However, as with any other city in the world, there is a dark and more sinister side to Seattleone that is often hidden not only from the public eye but from travelers and locals as well.

One of the first objectives of a new city is to establish law and order, for without it, chaos and malady will certainly follow. One of the ultimate criminal offenses is taking the life of another human. This is why society has rules and laws that carefully govern such an ominous wrongdoing. These laws provide guidelines for determining the severity, penalty and even classifications of killings.

Frequently, people interchange the terms murder and homicide, but there is a difference. Homicide is defined as an unlawful killing of another human being. Homicides are divided as criminal, excusable and justifiable. Murder is a form of criminal homicide in which the perpetrator intends to kill their victim, and it is sometimes premeditated. It is unjustifiable, and the consequences are severe. Excusable and justifiable homicide is a murder committed without criminal intent. Examples might mean the person was defending themselves or another person. It can also include law enforcement killing someone in the line of duty.

The most serious offense, murder, is divided into several different classifications depending on the severity and circumstances of the crime. There is first degree, second degree and third degree, which is often called manslaughter. First degree is the most serious offense and is premeditated, or planned. In some states, first-degree murder charges can be brought into play when the death occurs during a different, preplanned crime, such as rape, arson, robbery or even kidnapping.

To be charged with first-degree murder in Washington, the murder itself must be willful and premeditated. In this case, the killer plans ahead and attacks the victim with the intent to take their life. If convicted, the murderer will not receive anything less than life in prison. It can be changed to aggravated murder if there are extenuating circumstances surrounding the murder. For example, the killing of a police officer could be a first-degree murder charge. For this charge, the killer can receive the death penalty. Serial killers usually have a clear plan for each of their victims. Gary Ridgway drove the streets looking for prostitutes to kill. He planned which streets to drive, which type of woman he was wanting and how he would kill them.

The next degree is second-degree murder, which is an intentional killing that is not premeditated or planned. This can occur when the murder happens and the killer intends to kill, but he didnt approach the victim with an intentional plan. An example might be a dispute between neighbors and a property line. The neighbors are discussing a solution but a gun is pulled; one neighbor is shot and killed. This could also occur if one neighbor grabbed a shovel and struck the other neighbor in the head. The strike to the head kills the neighbor. A clear example of this degree can be seen in riots that occurred in Seattle in 1999. A man struck another man on the head with a skateboard, which caused a fatal head injury.

Next in line is manslaughter, which can be either voluntary or involuntary. If the manslaughter is voluntary, then there was intent to kill, but original intent was only to harm a person. The main distinction between second-degree murder and manslaughter is the circumstances surrounding the case. It is often described as a heat-of-passion killing in which the defendant is provoked or angered, striking out in an attack that ends in death. This could be a bar fight that went wrong. One man intends to punch another man hoping to hurt the other person. However, the second man falls to the ground and dies. Involuntary manslaughter is still an unlawful killing, but the defendant did not premeditate the actual killing and may not have even intended to harm the other person. Involuntary manslaughter can be divided into two categories: constructive and criminally negligent. Constructive manslaughter is when, without malicious intent, a killing occurs as the result of a crime. For example, a speeding vehicle in a school zone strikes and kills a child. The defendant broke the law by exceeding the speed limit but did not intend to kill the child. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can lead to an automobile accident. If that accident involves another car, and the driver of the second car dies, the driver under the influence can be charged with manslaughter. Again, a drunk driver doesnt set out to kill anyone, but driving under the influence is illegal and the death occurred during the illegal offense. Criminally negligent means the defendant committed a serious crime that resulted in death to the victim. This could happen in a hospital when a doctor fails to notices a patients oxygen tank has disconnected from the supply and the patient dies. Vehicular manslaughter is the charge for a drunk driver who kills someone while driving under the influence of alcohol.