Homicides up in recent years

The number of homicides in Snohomish County last year rose by one over the previous year, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In 2005, there were 19 confirmed homicides reported by the medical examiner’s office. There were 18 in 2004 and a dozen reported in 2003.

The number for 2005 doesn’t include pending cases in which the cause of death hasn’t been confirmed, said Carolyn Sanden, a spokeswoman for the Snohomish County medical examiner’s office.

It also doesn’t include people who died in car crashes that resulted in vehicular homicide charges.

The majority of people killed by another person in 2005 died of gunshot wounds.

Fifteen were men and four were women. Five homicides occurred in December with three happening in one week. No homicides were reported in May or November.

Sirita Sotelo, 4, was the youngest victim and the first homicide of 2005. Sirita was beaten to death by her stepmother. She died of skull fractures and a severed liver.

Don Larson, 69, was the oldest homicide victim. He was shot and killed by a Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy.

The Snohomish County prosecutor’s office ruled that a county sheriff’s deputy was justified in shooting Larson on March 17 after the Stanwood man pointed a shotgun at police.

Two other men, Kirk Mills and Kevin Cline, were shot and killed by police officers in 2005.

Mills, 38, was fatally shot Feb. 9 after he pointed a loaded assault rifle at police. The county prosecutor’s office ruled that Marysville officers were justified in shooting Mills.

A Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Cline on July 15 after he repeatedly rammed another vehicle while trying to evade arrest in a Lake Stevens parking lot.

A decision about his death is pending.

Six homicides remain unsolved, including the deaths of Edward Kim, Anthony Ferguson, Charles Hughley, Jesse Williams, Christopher Porter and Douglas Erlandson.

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.