Spokane police identify suspect in 1990 homicides

SPOKANE — Law enforcement officers have identified a suspect in connection with three unsolved homicides that occurred 22 years ago in the Spokane area.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday identified Douglas R. Perry, 60, as a person of interest in the case. He would have been 37 and 38 at the time of the killings, the sheriff’s office said.

“Detectives are searching for anyone that may have purchased a firearm from Perry” in the 1990s, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Perry was identified through DNA evidence found under the fingernails of one of the victims, sheriff’s spokesman Craig Chamberlin said.

The suspect is a transgendered woman also known as Donna Perry, Chamberlin said. Perry was already in the Spokane County Jail on an unrelated federal charge, he said.

The sheriff’s office is working with Spokane police on the case.

The body of Yolanda Sapp, 26, was discovered on Feb. 22, 1990. The body of Nikkie Lowe, 34, was discovered on March 25, 1990. The body of Kathlene Brisbois, 38, was found on May 15, 1990.

All three women, who worked as prostitutes, had been shot with a small caliber handgun, the sheriff’s office said.

Police have said that all the victims were nude when found at locations in or near the Spokane River.

Detectives would like to speak with associates of the three victims and of Perry.

Douglas Perry had gender reassignment surgery in 2000 in Bangkok and is now known as Donna Perry, according to court documents.

Advances in DNA technology prompted law enforcement officers to resubmit some evidence collected from Brisbois’ fingernails for testing in 2009, Chamberlin said. The DNA came back as belonging to a male, but did not match anyone in the federal database of convicted felons.

A major break came on Sept. 14, when a Washington State Crime Laboratory technician found that the evidence from Brisbois matched the DNA of Perry, who was in federal custody after he was arrested in Spokane on a weapons charge in March.

In October, law officers confirmed that Perry’s fingerprints were found on an item recovered in the Lowe homicide.

“Those latent fingerprints were compared to Douglas Perry by the Spokane Forensic Unit and they matched the index and middle finger of Douglas Perry,” according to a search warrant unsealed Tuesday in the case.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Chap Grubb, founder and CEO of second-hand outdoor gear store Rerouted, stands inside his new storefront on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Gold Bar, Washington. Rerouted began as an entirely online shop that connected buyers and sellers of used gear.  (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Used outdoor gear shop Rerouted finds a niche in Gold Bar

Seeking to keep good outdoor gear out of landfills, an online reselling business has put down roots in Gold Bar.

Naval Station Everett. (Chuck Taylor / Herald file)
Everett man sentenced to 6 years for cyberstalking ex-wife

Christopher Crawford, 42, was found guilty of sending intimate photos of his ex-wife to adult websites and to colleagues in the Navy.

Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers speaks to the crowd during an opening ceremony at the new PAE2 Amazon Fulfillment Center on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Arlington, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Snohomish County executive pitches $1.66B budget

Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers announced his proposed budget Tuesday afternoon. Public comment is slated to begin Oct. 10.

Marysville
Schools still without water after service restored to Tulalip homes

The affected area included Quil Ceda Elementary, as well as Heritage and Legacy high schools.

A memorial for a 15-year-old shot and killed last week is set up at a bus stop along Harrison Road on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Teen boy identified in fatal shooting at Everett bus stop

Bryan Tamayo-Franco, 15, was shot at a Hardeson Road bus stop earlier this month. Police arrested two suspects.

Mt. Baker visible from the summit of Mt. Dickerman on a late summer day in 2017. (Caleb Hutton / The Herald)
Hornets pester hikers on popular Mountain Loop trails

“You cannot out run the stings,” one hiker wrote in a trip report. The Forest Service has posted alerts at two trailheads.

A view of a 6 parcel, 4.4 acre piece of land in Edmonds, south of Edmonds-Woodway High School on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Housing authority seeks more property in Edmonds

The Housing Authority of Snohomish County doesn’t have specific plans for land near 80th Avenue West, if its offer is accepted.

Nursing Administration Supervisor Susan Williams points at a list of current COVID patients at Providence Regional Medical Center on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Dozens of Providence patients in medical limbo for months, even years

About 100 people are stuck in Everett hospital beds without an urgent medical reason. New laws aim for a solution.

Emergency responders surround an ultralight airplane that crashed Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at the Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Washington, resulting in the pilot's death. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Pilot dead in ultralight plane crash at Arlington Municipal Airport

There were no other injuries or fatalities reported, a city spokesperson said.

Most Read