MARYSVILLE — A man accused of killing a stranger outside a Marysville apartment complex allegedly bragged to a jail custody guard how tightly grouped his shots were.
He likened the pattern to a zipper, according to new court documents. Seaton Jeffry Baker was shot eight times. A shot to the heart likely dropped the Marysville man, 59, to the ground. Baker was shot seven more times between the abdomen and chin. He likely was lying down when those were fired. Police found an empty handgun magazine on his chest.
Prosecutors on Friday charged Wayne Alpert with second-degree murder for the June 11 homicide. He also is charged with second-degree assault for pointing a gun at another stranger about 30 minutes before the deadly shooting.
Alpert, 59, was being held on $1 million bail. Questions have been raised about his mental health and whether he is well enough to assist his defense attorney.
Alpert doesn’t have any prior felony convictions. His son told investigators Alpert had picked up the gun the day before his arrest.
He reportedly was carrying the weapon on a Community Transit bus the next day. He yelled at the driver but apologized after a passenger asked him to cool down, according to witness reports. That passenger got off the bus and so did Alpert. The defendant yelled threats at the man, pulled a gun, chambered a round and pointed it at the victim, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Laura Twitchell wrote in charging papers.
The man called 911 and Alpert fled.
Baker and a friend spotted a shirtless Alpert in the apartment parking lot about 30 minutes later. The men, who were drinking on Baker’s balcony, didn’t recognize Alpert. They asked him who he knew at the complex. Alpert gave the name of a woman who lives in one of the apartments. Baker reportedly wasn’t convinced that Alpert had legitimate business there. He went downstairs and told Alpert to leave.
Witnesses said Alpert walked around the side of the building and Baker followed. Baker’s friend couldn’t see the men any longer. He heard a child say, “He’s got a gun.” The friend then heard gunshots and saw Alpert running toward the road.
The defendant sat on a curb and was kneeling in the road when officers arrived. He had a gun beside him. Officers ordered him to crawl toward them. He allegedly started shouting, “I shot him. I shot him,” according to court papers.
The defendant was taken to a hospital, where he allegedly said that Baker was cornering him so he shot the man, Twitchell wrote.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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