Craigslist murder, robbery suspects charged

Published 10:35 pm Tuesday, May 4, 2010

LAKE STEVENS — Four people suspected of finding targets on Craigslist have been charged with murder in Pierce County and may be linked to last week’s frightening home-invasion robbery in Lake Stevens.

Two of the suspects, Kiyoshi Alan Higashi, 22, and Joshua Nathan Reese, 20, were jailed during the weekend in California after being stopped for a traffic violations, the Tacoma News Tribune reported Tuesday.

A third suspect, Amanda Christine Knight, 21, was jailed but posted bond in California and was released on bail. She later turned herself in to Pierce County officials in Sumner on Tuesday night. A fourth suspect’s identity has not been released.

Lake Stevens Police Chief Randy Celori said Tuesday detectives have evidence that links at least one of the suspects from Pierce County to the April 25 Lake Stevens robbery.

A ring stolen in Lake Stevens was pawned at a shop in Auburn, Celori said.

The Lake Stevens family trying to sell a flat-screen TV posted an ad on the free classifieds website.

Two men responded and threatened the family with a gun before calling at least two more people into the home. They tied up a man and woman and ransacked their home, making off with more than $30,000 worth of property, Celori said. No one was physically injured.

Days later, on April 28, officials believe the same crew attacked an Edgewood family who had also used Craigslist to advertise a ring for sale.

James Sanders, 43, was shot and killed in the attack. He may have intervened when his 14-year-old son was being pistol-whipped by the robbers, officials said.

The killing sparked a widespread investigation.

Pierce County prosecutors charged Higashi, Reese, Knight and a “John Doe” on Monday with first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and second-degree assault in the deadly home-invasion robbery, the News Tribune reported.

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