Local Briefly

Published 10:40 pm Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Arlington couple found dead are identified

The Arlington couple found dead in their home Friday morning have been identified as Robert and Karen Washburn, the Snohomish County medical examiner said Wednesday.

Robert Washburn’s death was ruled a homicide, officials said. The Arlington man, 67, died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head and trunk, the medical examiner ruled.

How Karen Washburn, 66, died is pending further investigation, the medical examiner said.

Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives were called about 8:15 a.m. Friday to the couple’s house, in the 23500 block of Jordan Road.

A family member had gone to check on the couple and made the discovery, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Detectives say they didn’t find any sign of forced entry.

The couple lived alone in the house.

Marysville: Home damaged by deck fire

A deck fire that spread to a home’s siding in Marysville on Wednesday afternoon drew emergency crews to douse the blaze.

The fire happened at 1218 Short St., Apt. B, about 2 p.m. Smoke poured into the upstairs through a bathroom window, triggering a smoke alarm upstairs that warned the people inside of the fire.

A woman used a garden hose to control the fire and Marysville fire crews finished the job. Damage was estimated at $1,500. The fire apparently started because ashes from a portable smoker weren’t properly disposed of, investigators said.

From Herald staff reports