Lynnwood man suspected of killing teen held on $500,000 bail

Published 1:40 pm Thursday, April 24, 2008

LYNNWOOD – The man accused of killing a 16-year-old Snohomish County boy Wednesday was ordered held on $500,000 bail today.

Robert J. Spillum, 29, of Lynnwood, punched the boy numerous times before the boy collapsed, according to a police affidavit filed today in Everett District Court. Spillum is being held for investigation of second-degree murder.

The boy was identified in court papers as Jamie D. Leavitt, 16.

Paramedics were summoned to a Lynnwood house at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. They were told Leavitt had overdosed on drugs. He was taken to Stevens Hospital in Edmonds, where he died a couple hours later, the court documents said. Doctors told detectives the teen had a basal skull fracture.

Police questioned Spillum, who lived at the house. They later arrested him.

Detectives reported that Spillum told them he was holding down Leavitt because the boy was high on drugs and out of control. He told police the boy drank “worb water,” a mixture of methamphetamine residue and water left behind in a drug pipe. Spillum told police he tried to hold Leavitt down so he wouldn’t hurt himself.

Spillum later changed his story, police said. He allegedly told police he’d punched Leavitt in the face because the boy tried to hug him, according to court documents. Police noticed that the Spillum’s hand was red and swollen. A witness told police she saw Spillum holding the boy down on a bed and had his hand over Leavitt’s chin, police wrote in an affidavit.

Detectives worked into the night combing the house for evidence. The incident occurred in the 4500 block of 172nd Place SW.

Neighbors on the dead-end street said they often saw cars coming and going from the Spillum home.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner is expected to do an autopsy on the teen today.