THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. (TCD) — A man is facing murder and other charges for allegedly killing a missing couple whose bodies were discovered on an Army base last week.
On Nov. 13, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a welfare check at Davido and Karen Koep’s residence because one of them did not show up for work. When deputies arrived, they determined both were missing and it was “suspicious.” CNN reports Koep worked as a chiropractor and never made it to her office that day.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a news briefing there was a lot of blood inside the residence with an “evident” crime scene and it was “unlikely they survived the attack.”
The Seattle Times reports Davido legally does not have a last name.
According to Sanders, investigators arrested a potential suspect the same day for identity theft because he allegedly had one of the victim’s credit cards. The man was released on probable cause, but then was rearrested several days later on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.
On Saturday, Dec. 2, two people riding quad bikes discovered what appeared to be a human body and contacted the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies as well as officers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord arrived at the scene and located a second body. Both victims were found about half a mile from where the suspect lived on a property Davido and Koep owned, which was “just outside the search scope.”
However, Davido and Koep’s home was “quite a ways away” from where the passersby found the bodies, so Sanders believes transportation could have been a factor in how the victims ended up near the Army base.
The coroner’s office later positively identified the victims as Davido and Koep. Sanders did not share details about their deaths but confirmed the case “did involve shell casings and firearms.”
Sanders said even though the bodies were found on the Army base, federal officials “understand this homicide occurred in rural Thurston County and this is going to be a cooperative effort.”
The Seattle Times identified the suspect as 45-year-old Timothy Burke. Investigators reportedly found bullet holes in the wall at Davido and Koep’s house as well as indications someone attempted to clean the scene with bleach and a vacuum.
Davido was reportedly in the process of evicting Burke when he and Koep were killed. Investigators reportedly discovered “very negative” emails Burke wrote about Davido.
Burke is currently being held without bail.
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