Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Police photo  (click to enlarge) Jason Eugene Bush   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Leaders of anti-illegal immigration groups trade insults over Forde case 6/30/09 • Murder suspect Shawna Forde feared for border security 6/14/09 • Activist Shawna Forde charged in double slaying 6/13/09 • Trouble finds Shawna Forde 2/22/09 • Leader of Minutemen group reports being shot 1/17/09 • Hoax claims 'ridiculous,' Minutemen leader says 1/6/09 • Violent attacks in home sparked by politics, victim says 1/3/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, June 15, 2009 Minuteman shooting suspect charged with old murder By Scott North Herald Writer WENATCHEE -- The self-styled Minuteman already accused of a fatal home invasion robbery in Arizona also has been charged with a 1997 killing of a Hispanic man in Wenatchee. Jason Eugene Bush, 34, was linked to the killing through genetic evidence, according to an affidavit filed Friday in Chelan County Superior Court. Bush, who has a long criminal history in Eastern Washington, became a suspect in the July 24, 1997 killing after an informant told police he'd bragged about killing "a Mexican" behind a store, according to court papers. Bush is now facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with the stabbing death of Hector Lopez Partida. Bush spent time in prison after the homicide for a variety of crimes, including auto theft, assault and weapons violations. After release he moved to Northern Idaho, and the Hayden Lake, where he lived until 2007, the affidavit said. Wenatchee police "learned Bush has had long standing ties to Aryan Nations groups that commonly believe in white superiority over other races and have been known to be violent towards non-white races. He espoused these beliefs to associates in Wenatchee in 1997," the affidavit said. Bush also is charged with first-degree murder in Pima County, Ariz., for his alleged role in a May 30 home invasion robbery at a home in Arivaca, Ariz. Three people living there were shot, two fatally. Raul Flores, 29, and his daughter, Brisenia, 9, were killed when a group of armed people, including a woman, forced their way into the home. The child's mother traded gunfire with the attackers. She survived but remains hospitalized with gunshot wounds. Pima County, Ariz., detectives on Friday said Bush was wounded in the robbery. They said the robbery was planned by Shawna Forde, 41, of Everett. She is executive director of Everett-based Minutemen American Defense, and also facing murder charges. Forde's family said she talked about a plan to rob suspected drug traffickers to raise money for her group. They also said they believe Bush was part of a home invasion robbery of a family in Shasta Lake, Calif. Arizona detectives are following up on that lead, in which $12,000 was stolen at gunpoint. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Teen dies after Granite Falls crash 2. Bikini coffee stands to be regulated as adult entertainment 3. Sultan brothers plead guilty in death of rival gang member 4. Body found after house catches fire north of Bothell 5. Gregoire unveils budget with deep cuts, will press for tax hikes 6. Grief and gratitude expressed for four slain officers 7. Two teenagers hurt in crash near Granite Falls 8. Friends and family honor Clearview couple who loved always 9. Roe appointed interim county prosecutor 10. Arlington's budget is ‘bare bones' 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Zambian woman thanks students for their help • Food banks see rise in use • ‘Making Spirits Bright’ in Edmonds • Wolfpack takes aim at state • Seahawks help students smile • 95 and still volunteering • Sno-King joined by local TV king • Veterans back for Wildcats • Lynnwood seeks to plug $2 million budget gap • Snohomish County offers the best and most affordable venues for conferen ... • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed