By Cathy Logg
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Snohomish County sheriff’s investigators have obtained blood, hair and fingerprint samples from a 21-year-old Snohomish man in connection with the slaying of Kyle VonRotz.
The body of VonRotz, 22, was found June 29 outside his car on a secluded single-lane gravel road in the Snohomish area. He died from multiple gunshot wounds.
The samples were taken Monday from the suspect, who was accompanied by his attorney, Ronald Meltzer, according to a search warrant affidavit filed Wednesday in Snohomish County Superior Court.
The affidavit details how the investigation led to the man, who allegedly spent time with VonRotz before his death.
VonRotz’s body was discovered by a resident in the area in the middle of 119th Avenue SE beside his 1986 Chrysler.
On the ground at the back of the car, detectives found a 40-ounce Mickey’s beer bottle about half full, and another one inside the car, balanced on the steering wheel. Two unsmoked Camel filter cigarettes were on the dashboard just above the steering wheel. Investigators also found two cigarette butts outside the car.
VonRotz had been shot at least four and possibly five times, according to the county medical examiner.
VonRotz’s father, Allen VonRotz, told detectives his son had gone to a friend’s home in the neighborhood June 28, and he didn’t think Kyle had come home that night, although his Nintendo was on the TV room floor.
Detectives talked to the friend, who said VonRotz had been to his house that night and watched part of a Seattle Mariners baseball game with him and then left.
About 1 a.m., some people knocked on his door, and he found VonRotz and the suspect there, the friend told detectives.
The friend invited them in, and he noticed they both had 40-ounce bottles of Mickey’s beer. They told him they had played pool in Woodinville. He said VonRotz seemed to be teasing the suspect, who seemed upset by it.
After about 30 minutes, VonRotz and the suspect left to find a quiet spot to finish their beer, the friend told detectives.
The suspect had gone to his mother’s home in Puyallup, where detectives eventually contacted him. He met with detectives at the county courthouse June 30.
He told them he had gone to the store and that VonRotz pulled up as he was leaving. The two went to Woodinville together and stopped for cigarettes, played pool and drank, then went to VonRotz’s friend’s house, the affidavit says.
He said they then went to VonRotz’s house, ate a sandwich, and VonRotz took him home about 1 a.m. The suspect told detectives they’d been drinking beer, the affidavit says.
The suspect refused to take a polygraph examination. He denied ever owning a gun, and took his shirt off to show detectives that he had no injuries, the affidavit says.
On July 12, detectives and county search and rescue volunteers inspected the crime scene. They found a revolver about 30 feet from the road where VonRotz and his car were found. The gun had six spent shell casings in the cylinder.
Investigators got the search warrant for prints and DNA samples to compare with evidence found at the scene.
You can call Herald Writer Cathy Logg at 425-339-3437
or send e-mail to logg@heraldnet.com.
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