Death near Tulalip a homicide

Published 11:33 pm Friday, February 22, 2008

STANWOOD — The death of a man whose body was found Thursday in a vacant lot north of Tulalip is being investigated as a homicide, sheriff’s detectives said.

The Everett man, believed to be in his mid 30s, suffered multiple gunshot wounds, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

It is the first investigation of an apparent murder in Snohomish County this year.

The man’s identity and a final ruling on the cause and manner of death were pending examination by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Detectives believe the man was killed where his body was found in a clearing in a wooded area in the 8100 block of 140th Street NW, Hover said.

“We don’t know how long his body had been there before being discovered,” she said.

The man had not been reported missing.

The property owner found the body, Hover said.

“He was visiting the property and that’s when he discovered the man,” she said.

Detectives don’t know why the man was killed. They are working to try to develop a motive for the killing and are trying to develop suspect information.

No arrests have been made, Hover said.

Investigators worked Thursday evening and Friday gathering evidence. Now, detectives will work with other law enforcement agencies to determine any acquaintances the victim might have had in the community.

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Help police

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 425-388-3845.