Philip Brewer, aged 32, and Christina Joel Hardy, aged 47, have been accused of the murder of Curtis Engeland, a 74-year-old resident of Mercer Island, Washington. The grim allegations involve a series of crimes including financial fraud, kidnapping, identity theft, theft, criminal impersonation, possession of stolen property, and forgery. Engeland was reported missing on February 23, 2024, and his remains were discovered near Cosmopolis, Washington, on March 14, 2024.
Investigations unveiled Brewer and Hardy’s alleged exploitation of Engeland’s assets, which included the misappropriation of $5,000 from his checking account and $6,200 from his home equity line of credit. Furthermore, they purportedly utilized Engeland’s financial resources for extravagant purchases.
Brewer and Engeland initially crossed paths through a dating application, with Brewer purportedly absconding with Engeland’s wallet, keys, and cellphone after a subsequent date at Engeland’s residence. The illicit transactions on Engeland’s accounts were traced back to a Fred Meyer store in Renton, where surveillance footage captured Brewer and Hardy engaging in said transactions.
Both suspects were apprehended in Riverside, California, and are anticipated to be extradited to Washington to face the legal ramifications of their alleged actions. Brewer’s criminal history includes 33 misdemeanor convictions and multiple felonies in the state of Washington, prompting authorities to request a $5 million bail for each suspect.
In a peculiar twist, an individual dating Hardy’s daughter claimed to have fled from Hardy and Brewer after being pulled over for speeding in California. He alleged that they had administered a lethal dose of fentanyl to Engeland before fatally stabbing him in the neck at a disposal site in Grays Harbor County. Additionally, he asserted that the defendants planned to abduct Hardy’s daughter to care for their children during their impending incarceration.
Engeland’s body was discovered wrapped in a blanket, with autopsy results revealing blunt-force trauma to his face, a stab wound to his neck, and the presence of an unspecified quantity of fentanyl in his system. Following discussions with detectives, Hardy purportedly sold both her and Brewer’s cellphones to a GameStop outlet in Salem, Oregon, and pawned Engeland’s cellphone at an ecoATM machine a day prior.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office has levied charges of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree identity theft, and first-degree theft against Brewer and Hardy, urging the imposition of a $5 million bail for each. As extradition proceedings unfold, the suspects remain in custody in California, with arraignment hearings slated for their return to Washington state.
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